270 NEAREST THE POLE 



of the already descending night, we groped our way 

 in almost complete darkness out through the numerous 

 icebergs, and felt that we had really begun the home- 

 ward voyage. The darkness during this night was 

 so intense that we slowed down to half-speed. The 

 following afternoon a fresh breeze accompanied by 

 a heavy swell set in from the southeast, and the 

 rolling of the ship washed out some ashes in the fire- 

 room, clogging the suctions of all the pumps, and 

 allowing the water in the fire-room to rise to the stoke- 

 hole plates before it was noticed. During the next 

 two days the Roosevelt was hove- to v/hile the fire-room 

 was cleared of water, the pumps overhauled and 

 got in commission again, and steps taken to prevent 

 a recurrence of the trouble. During this time the 

 weather remained thick and the wind continued from 

 the southeast. When we got under way it was im- 

 practicable to make the Greenland coast and we con- 

 tinued down the middle of Baffin's Bay. At mid- 

 night of September 30th we rounded the end of the 

 middle pack and in the afternoon of October ist, in 

 a fresh southeast breeze and heavy swell, the fore- 

 topmast broke off at the springstay, and went over- 

 board carrying with it the topmast rigging, barrel, 

 and flying jib. October 3d we made the west coast 

 just above Cape Dyer and followed it past Walsingham 

 and Mercy, and across the mouth of Cumberland Sound, 

 until 4 A. M. of the 6th, when about seven miles north 

 of Monumental Island, a sea striking under the star- 

 board quarter broke the rudder-stock square off, 

 rendering us helpless. 



It was very thick at the time and the Roosevelt 



