266 NEAREST THE POLE 



account by additional calking of the stem and again 

 tightening and this time wedging the bolts of the pro- 

 peller blades. Steaming out from Kookan the tough 

 young ice now several inches in thickness, retarded our 

 progress seriously for some three miles. As we got 

 out of the bay it became less dense. Heading for 

 the passage between Herbert and Northumberland 

 islands, six walrus of those that were directly on our 

 route were secured and passing between the islands, 

 we steamed for Cape Parry. Off this cape we got out 

 of the young ice entirely, and steamed southward in 

 open water. Another contingent of my Eskimos 

 wishing to be landed at Oomunui on the south side of 

 Wolstenholm Sound, we steamed in behind Saunders 

 Island securing six large bull walrus. Young ice of 

 too great thickness for us to penetrate, prevented our 

 reaching Oomunui and an attempt was made to land 

 the Eskimo at Narksami between Oomunui and Cape 

 Athol. The anchor was dropped off this place but 

 the movement and thickness of the young ice was such 

 that I did not think it advisable to delay here even 

 for an hour, and the anchor was immediately hoisted 

 again and we forged slowly out through young ice 

 which required all the power we could summon to 

 negotiate it. 



The nights now were very dark. Off Cape Athol 

 we got free of the young ice again, and steaming south 

 in open water, were off Cape Dudley Diggs early the 

 following morning and steamed into Parker Snow 

 Bay to land the last of my Eskimos. This day was 

 a perfect one of brilliant sunshine and pronounced 

 warmth. The Eskimos worked with a will landing 



