2IO NEAREST THE POLE 



and moved everything down to the ice-foot where we 

 had left one sledge. A small cairn with a piece of box 

 embedded in the top of it was built not far from the 

 ice-foot upon the low fore shore. While this was being 

 done a lemming was caught, thus adding this animal 

 to the fauna of Jesup Land. No previous cairn exists 

 on or near this cape nor does it appear from Sverdrup's 

 narrative or his map that he reached this point. The 

 two sledges were then loaded and we started on our 

 return, but not by the way we had come. 



While not exactly an open polar sea, our outward 

 track was now impracticable to anything unable to 

 swim. 



The four days since we came over it had worked 

 surprising changes and what with the direct melting, 

 and the water poured on to it from the land, the ice 

 was completely flooded. 



We made a long detour into the bay lying between 

 our camp and the next point to the east, picking up 

 the rest of the meat the boys got on the 28th, and 

 landed on the point after four hours of wading. 



I reached the land a little farther up the bay than 

 the sledges, and saw a deer grazing. 



After the sledges came ashore, the tent was set up, 

 I made tea, all our gear and clothing, saturated by the 

 trip, was spread out on the gravel to dry, as the sun 

 gave symptoms of appearing; then I sent the boys 

 to bring in the deer which they did in about an hour, 

 (a buck with small horns in the velvet) . 



This made twelve obtained thus far. A fresh track 

 was seen between the tent and the sledge which we 



