DAYBREAK IN CUMBERLAND SOUND 233 



of travelling across the sea. So on June 6 Mr. Peck 

 had to make a start on his return journey to Black- 

 lead Island. 



His account of the journey is as follows : " We 

 made our way over the vast ice-field which stretches 

 right across the Sound. We followed in many places 

 the track of sledges which had passed over the same 

 ice. But at last, to our dismay, we saw that the ice 

 had been carried away, and that the open water ex 

 tended in a more northerly direction. We were 

 therefore obliged to alter our course, and after a 

 hard day's travelling we succeeded in reaching the 

 edge of the ice floe on the opposite side. Here we 

 found two boats, the crews of which were engaged 

 in the whale fishery. The boats were secured to 

 the edge of the ice, and we were almost inclined to 

 go and sleep in them for the night. After prayerful 

 consideration, however, we thought it wiser to go 

 to some Eskimos who were encamped close to the 

 land. These people received us very kindly, and, 

 with the help of our methylated-spirit lamp, a cup 

 of tea was soon ready, and we attacked our evening 

 meal with an appetite which only an Arctic traveller, 

 perhaps, can understand." 



On the next day " there was a strong wind blow 

 ing from the north. We looked for the boats we 

 had seen the previous day, but the ice, to which 

 they had been fastened, had all disappeared. What 

 a mercy we did not carry out our intention of stay- 



