EXPEDITION OF 1898-1902 333 



The origin of the floebergs and paleocrystic ice was 

 definitely determined. Further than this, the result 

 of the journey was to eliminate this route as a desirable 

 or practicable one by which to reach the Pole. The 

 broken character of the ice, the large amount of open 

 water, and the comparatively rapid motion of the 

 ice, as it swung round the northern coast into the 

 southerly setting East Greenland current, were very 

 unfavourable features. 



During my absence some thirty-three musk-oxen 

 and ten seals had been secured in the vicinity 

 of Conger; caches for my return had been estab- 

 lished at Thank God Harbour, Cape Lieber, and 

 Lincoln Bay, and sugar, milk and tea had been 

 brought up from the various caches between Conger 

 and Cape Louis Napoleon. 



July was passed by a portion of the party in the 

 region from Discovery Harbour westward, via Black 

 Rock Vale and Lake Hazen, where some forty musk- 

 oxen were secured. 



During August and early September various other 

 hunting trips of shorter duration were made, resulting 

 in the killing of some twenty musk-oxen. 



1900-1901 



In the middle of September I started with Henson 

 and four Eskimos to Lake Hazen, to secure musk-oxen 

 for our winter supply, it being evident that my ship 

 would not reach us. Going west as far as the valley 

 of the Very River, by October 4th, ninety- two musk- 

 oxen had been killed. Later nine more were secured, 



