34 NEAREST THE POLE 



At the end of an hour or two he was enthusiastic, 

 both at the ease with which the most crushing blows 

 could be delivered, and the whaleboat-like facility 

 with which the ship wheeled and twisted through 

 the tortuous passages. 



But there were some areas of ancient ice which a 

 thousand Roosevelts merged in one could not have 

 negotiated, and we were soon deflected to the south- 

 west, and only when within some ten miles of Cape 

 Isabella did we find it practicable to work north- 

 ward again. 



Cape Sabine and Payer Harbour, which had been my 

 headquarters for sixteen months in 1901-1902, were 

 densely packed, permitting no near approach, and 

 we bored away to the northeast, till the ice became 

 impracticable for further advance, then retraced our 

 route, and worked towards Bache Peninsula, getting 

 about half-way across Buchanan Bay when we were 

 stopped by large floes barring our passage to open 

 water under Cape Albert. The ice later appearing 

 more favourable to the eastward, we retraced a por- 

 tion of our route and I very carefully reconnoitred 

 Sabine and Payer Harbour again as I was loath to give 

 up my sub-base there, this being part of my programme 

 as outlined to the Club. But the conditions were 

 entirely impossible, and making a detour to the east, 

 the Roosevelt gained the open water at Bache Peninsula, 

 and steaming to the bight south of Victoria Head, 

 the northwestern headland of the peninsula, landed a 

 depot of boats, coal, and provisions. 



The value of this locality for the southern sub-base 

 of an expedition going north by the Smith Sound or 



