302 NEAREST THE POLE 



found the country impracticable, and returned to the 

 ship on the 21st. The sun left us on the 20th. 



The following week was devoted to the work of 

 preparation for the winter. A reconnoissance of 

 Franklin Pierce bay developed nothing but hare tracks, 

 but Henson came in from Cope's Bay with a big bear, 

 killed near the head of the bay. This marked the end 

 of the fall campaign, with our winter's fresh meat 

 supply assured and the Bache-" Island "-Buchanan- 

 " Strait "-" Hayes-Sound " question settled. 



The next step was the inauguration of the teaming 

 work, which was to occupy us through the winter. I 

 already had my pemmican and some miscellaneous 

 supplies at Cape Louis Napoleon and two sledge loads 

 of provisions at Cape Eraser, The rapidly disappearing 

 daylight being now too limited for effective travelling, 

 I was obliged to await the appearance of the next moon 

 before starting for a personal reconnoissance of the 

 coast northward. On the 29th I left the ship with 

 Henson and one Eskimo. The soft snow of the last 

 two storms compelled me to break a road for the sledges 

 with snowshoes across AUman Bay and along many 

 portions of the ice-foot, but in spite of this delay we 

 camped at Cape Louis Napoleon after a long march. 



The next day we reached Cape Eraser, having been 

 impeded by the tide rising over the ice-foot, and camped 

 at Henson' s farthest, at the beginning of what seemed 

 an impracticable ice-foot. It was the only possible 

 way of advance, however, as the still-moving pack in 

 the channel was entirely impassable. The following 

 day I made a reconnoissance on foot as far as Scoresby 

 Bay, and though the ice-foot was then impracticable 



