THROUGH THE "GREAT NIGHT" 77 



us on the qui vive all the time. The snow upon the 

 land and along the ice-foot, which at first necessitated 

 the use of snowshoes, eventually became packed by 

 the recurring winds, until it would support the weight 

 of a man. Nearly all conditions were almost entirely 

 the reverse of those experienced by the British ex- 

 pedition in the same region thirty years previous. 

 The winter moons in this high latitude were of long 

 duration and of great brilliancy unless obscured by 

 bad weather. 



The usual monotony of an Arctic winter was entirely 

 destroyed for us (outside of the continuous excite- 

 ment which the movement of the ice afforded us) 

 by the extensive widening of our horizon as a result 

 of my settlements in the interior. The largest of 

 these was located upon the southern slopes of the United 

 States Range north of Lake Hazen; another near the 

 head of Lake Hazen; and a third at the Ruggles 

 River, with intermediate snow houses along the trail 

 between the settlements and the ship. 



From these settlements at the beginning of each 

 moon sledges came in bringing loads of musk-ox meat 

 and news of the hunt during the preceding weeks. 

 These sledges remained a few days at the ship, then 

 outfitted again and went back with new instalments 

 of Eskimo families to spend the interval until the 

 next moon in the interior. As a result of this there 

 was constantly something to talk of and something to 

 look forward to. 



Preparations for the spring sledge journey were 

 carried on continuously, more sledges were built and 

 tents, harnesses, traces, and fur clothing made; the 



