250 NEAREST THE POLE 



but the Roosevelt kept moving slowly until about 

 2 A. M. of the 7 th, when she was somewhat east of 

 the middle of the channel and a little south of Cape 

 Beechy. At this time the ice ran together with the 

 turn of the tide preventing further movement, so we 

 made fast to a big floe and began drifting southward 

 with the pack. Soundings in the centre of the channel 

 gave depths of from 298 to 339 fathoms. During the 

 7th, 8th, and 9th we drifted southward, and some big 

 floes jamming across the channel from Cape Lieber to 

 Joe Island, we were shunted into the mouth of Lady 

 Franklin Bay on a line between Cape Baird and Dis- 

 covery Harbour. 



Here we remained without motion for eight days, 

 parties of Eskimos going ashore every day both to 

 Cape Baird and Distant Cape and Bellot Island. 

 These hunting parties secured some hare, a square 

 flipper seal, a common seal and on two or three 

 occasions came near getting a narwhal. 



On the morning of the i8th the ice in which we were 

 imprisoned began to set into the bay again, doubtless 

 owing to pressure from the northward. This motion 

 continued throughout the day, and, toward midnight 

 the Roosevelt was subjected to severe pressure which 

 forced her up on to the heavy floe to which we were 

 moored, twisted her stem post over to the port side, 

 and for a time threatened to tear another blade from 

 her propeller. We were now in the centre of the Bay 

 about six miles inside of Cape Baird, and opposite the 

 western entrance of Discovery Harbour. Motion con- 

 tinued during the 19th, and at night the Roosevelt was 

 again subjected to pressures, which increased the leak 



