332 THENORTHPOLE 



At the expiration of that period Bartlett reported 

 the ship ready to sail. Observation of conditions 

 off shore revealed the fact that Robeson Channel 

 was practicable for navigation. Our work was done, 

 success had crowned our efforts, the ship was ready, 

 we were all fit, and on July 18, with only the tragic 

 memory of the lost lamented Marvin to lessen our 

 high spirits, the Roosevelt pulled slowly out from the 

 cape and turned her nose again to the south. 



Off Cape Union the Roosevelt was intentionally 

 forced out into the ice to fight a way down the center 

 of the channel in accordance with my deliberate 

 program. 



For a ship of the Roosevelfs class, this is the best 

 and quickest return route — far preferable to hugging 

 the shore. 



The voyage to Battle Harbor was comparatively 

 uneventful. It involved, of course, as does any journey 

 in those waters, even under favorable conditions, 

 unceasing watchfulness and skill in ice navigation, 

 but the trip was without pronounced adventure. On 

 August 8 the Roosevelt emerged from the ice and passed 

 Cape Sabine, and the value of experience and the 

 new departure of forcing the ship down the center 

 of the channel instead of along shore will be appre- 

 ciated from the fact that we were now thirty-nine 

 days ahead of our 1906 record on the occasion of our 

 previous return from Cape Sheridan, although we had 

 left Cape Sheridan considerably later than before. 

 The voyage from Cape Sheridan to Cape Sabine had 

 been made in fifty-three days, less time than in 1906. 



We stopped at Cape Saumarez, the Nerke of the 



