RETURN FROM "FARTHEST WEST" 223 



my cache, made where Koolootingwah turned back 

 and I sent the two men with one empty sledge and all 

 the dogs to get it. They were bothered a good deal in 

 reaching it by the lakes and streams. We were fol- 

 lowing the only practicable road. Without it, we 

 would not make more than half our progress. On each 

 side of our trail was a nearly continuous deep blue lake, 

 into the outer side of which flowed at short intervals, 

 streams and from the inner edge of which at every 

 available spot streams had bored a way through to 

 the tide crack into which they poured with a rush. 



After leaving the cache we travelled for four hours 

 more. The snow was nearly all gone from the ice here 

 now, and two or three days more of warm weather 

 would remove it entirely. The effect of the fall in 

 temperature was very perceptible in the lowering of 

 the water-level in all the smaller pools. 



The sun shone at intervals during the march but 

 could not make up its mind to clear, and wind, directly 

 in our faces, continued. 



It was a great comfort to start the next morning 

 with dry foot-gear, even though it did not stay dry 

 long. 



Quite decent travelling most of the day though we 

 had a few hours of heavy work. There were plenty 

 of lakes and streams all about us, but keeping along 

 the crack saved us. Anywhere else was nearly if 

 not quite impracticable. 



The bulk of the snow had already melted, and the 

 streams were falling, but of course many of the lakes 

 would remain till they froze the next fall. 



The sun shone at intervals alternating with dense 



