FROM FLAXMAN ISLAND TO ICY CAPE 339 



in the hauling straps. And toil it was ! Every ounce of 

 strength was used to force the sledge slowly ahead, and often 

 we stopped altogether to move it along in standing pulls, a few 

 feet at a time. But the wind grew stronger and stronger, the 

 blinding snowstorm prevented us from seeing more than forty 

 yards ahead, and the moment a familiar landmark appeared 

 through the drifting snow we camped, with plenty of fuel at 

 hand. The wind was now blowing at a rate of forty miles an 

 hour, and it was hard work pitching the tent ; eventually we 

 succeeded, fed the dogs, and crawled into our cosy tent, which 

 was soon covered with a blanket of snow. 



Made about fourteen miles. Temperature 13 C. 



On Sunday, the 2Oth, the weather was fine, and we walked 

 round the large delta of the Sakovanukto River. But towards 

 night the wind sprang up again, this time from the south-west, 

 and soon almost a gale was blowing. We had great difficulty 

 in making land against it, and were more than pleased when at 

 last we reached the high banks of the mainland, where shelter 

 could be found and where once more we had plenty of firewood 

 at hand. 



From Monday, October 21, to Wednesday, October 23, the 

 weather was constantly very bad, west wind with snow and 

 sleet. We had a harder time than ever, and Axel and myself 

 were continually working in the hauling straps. None the 

 less the sledge often stopped, though we were continually 

 encouraging the dogs with call and whip, mostly with the whip 

 I am sorry to say. And the progress we made was poor, ten or at 

 best fifteen miles a day as a reward for eight to ten hours' 

 constant work. We saw several herds of cariboo, and once tried 

 to hunt them, but with no other result than that we were 

 delayed for two hours and had some chewed harness and traces 

 to repair. Another time we saw a bear ahead who came walk- 

 ing quite placidly towards us, probably thinking that we were 

 seals. When he discovered his mistake, at a distance of 

 about three hundred yards, he was not slow to turn round 

 and be off, hotly pursued by Axel and myself. We chased him 

 for about twenty minutes, but he had the advantage of us in 

 the soft snow and escaped. However, he must have been 

 rather interested in our appearance, as he returned later during 

 the night, when we had camped. Then, as before, he was 



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