go CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



Saturday, September 8. The day has been rather dull; the 

 weather was thick in the morning, but cleared up later on. 

 We saw lots of ice again, and had to haul close in shore in order 

 to avoid it. There was no water visible seaward, and we shall 

 have to go very near the outside of the sand-spits in order to get 

 clear of the ice. In spite of the persistent easterly winds, it looks 

 as if the ice has moved about ten miles eastward, as the whalers 

 reported trouble with ice off Cross Island, where they had been 

 delayed for several days. We passed Cross Island in fine open 

 water, but could see the edge of the ice from the deck. Off Pole 

 Island we encountered the ice, heavy, close, and apparently 

 stationary. During the afternoon we ran among some 

 grounded small ice, through the carelessness of the men on 

 watch, and were aground three times before we came out again. 

 We managed to sail the ship over the shoals under a press of 

 sail, and did not waste much time. The fog came down again 

 at 4.30 P.M., and we were obliged to anchor. 



Yesterday we were very optimistic about reaching Minto 

 Inlet ; to-day we have abandoned the idea, after Mr. Lemngwell, 

 Dr. Howe, and myself had talked things over carefully. 



Our reasons for abandoning the plan of reaching Minto Inlet 

 at the present moment, instead of waiting till we are com- 

 pelled to do so, are the lateness of the season, the permanent 

 easterly winds, the heavy ice, the dark nights, and the long way 

 we yet have to go before reaching our original place of 

 destination in all about 600 miles. 



Probably we could make Herschel Island, possibly even Cape 

 Bathurst, but in neither of these places should we have so good 

 a chance as from this vicinity of doing work upon the explora- 

 tion of Beaufort Sea. From a winter quarter at Flaxman 

 Island or Barter Island we shall be able to make a trip over the 

 ice and be in an interesting section of Beaufort Sea at once. 

 The ice which every year lies very close to Cross Island must 

 apparently be held in place by some solid obstructions to the 

 north. All the whalers have told us that the ice hardly ever 

 moves off Cross Island, except slightly, and only in an eastern 

 or western direction, keeping its distance from land. 



Taking into consideration the fact that Captain Keenan 

 claims to have seen land in this vicinity, .that several of the 

 natives tell stories about a land visible somewhere N.N.E. of 



