236 NEAREST THE POLE 



stern post and rudder. She was now laying at Shelter 

 River just south of Cape Union effecting repairs. 



Marvin had been unable to get north from Hecla, 

 owing to the breaking up of the ice, and working 

 westward had carried a valuable line of soundings 

 along the Grant Land coast as far west as Cape 

 Fanshawe Martin. 



Captain Bartlett had made cross-sections of Robe- 

 son Channel in accordance with my instructions. 

 Marvin and the Eskimos had come over to Sheridan to 

 wait for me. On the arrival of Egingwah they 

 started overland to meet us. 



From my tent to the shore abreast of William's 

 Island the going was] over hummocky fioes which were 

 now a succession of hummocks and deep pools. With 

 two inflated floats on the sledge, making a raft of it, 

 we made nearly direct for the shore, paying no attention 

 to pools less than hip deep. At the shore, high tide 

 barred us with a wide strip of clear water. Search in 

 each direction showing no practicable crossing, we 

 resorted to the ice cake ferry-boat method, and finally 

 gained the shore, Here we wrung out our foot-gear 

 and each taking a back-load, started for Sheridan, leav- 

 ing the sledge and other things for another trip. 



This twelve mile trip was very unpleasant for me, 

 my wet foot-gear offering little or no protection to my 

 feet (softened by three weeks of constant soaking) 

 from the sharp stones. I was very glad to get to the 

 boat which had been left on the west side of the Cape 

 Sheridan River for this purpose, and pulling along the 

 ice-foot lake, arrived at the tent at noon, Tuesday, 

 July 26th. Here I found that Egingwah had gone on 



