ETAH TO CAPE SHERIDAN 39 



Firm in my confidence in the capabilities of the 

 Roosevelt and against all the so-called canons of Arctic 

 navigation in this regi n, she was headed eastward in 

 the afternoon of the 21st and driven into the thick of 

 the channel pack. The ice encountered was very large 

 and heavy, and its southward drift inevitably swept 

 us down; still we made fair progress eastward and 

 after a severe and protracted struggle, during which 

 Bartlett and the mate remained continuously in the 

 fore rigging and I in the main rigging, we broke out 

 into loose ice off Cape Calhoun and began boring 

 northward towards Crozier and Franklin Islands. 

 The channel between Franklin Island and Cape 

 Constitution was attempted and found impracticable. 

 The main channel pack was then negotiated close 

 under the vertical western cliffs of Franklin Island. 

 We then had fairly good going, interrupted by bar- 

 riers of heavy but rather loose ice to Joe Island. 



Stopped here by an impervious jam, the Roosevelt 

 was made fast to the ice-foot which along the southern 

 end of the island is of most stupendous character, 

 and accompanied by Captain Bartlett I climbed to the 

 summit of the island, from whence we saw the eastern 

 portion of Hall Basin clear of ice to Cape Lupton 

 and apparently to Cape Sumner. The western portion 

 of the basin and as far as we could see north and south 

 along the Grinnell Land coast was densely packed 

 with heavy ice. 



With the turn of the tide the tension in the channd 

 pack along the western shore of the island relaxed" 

 somewhat, and hurrying back to the Roosevelt, a few 

 hours of severe work forced the barrier, and in the teeth 



