BACK OVER THE GLACIERS 205 



thoroughly familiar with the conditions in this region, 

 and the most feasible route. The outer ice here is 

 always in danger of disruption, and one traveling 

 upon it of being carried adrift. I was therefore more 

 than a little concerned, and called the attention of 

 the men to the fact that not once during the winter 

 had the Eskimos of Annootok and Etah taken the 

 route we were now following, always keeping close 

 in-shore. They reasoned, however, that the outside 

 route was perfectly safe, and by taking it believed 

 we could circumvent the rafted ice nearer shore, and 

 therefore more rapid progress could be made. 



For two hours we headed off-shore. Constantly 

 the wind increased in velocity, and more thickly fell 

 the snow. Presently we became entangled in ice so 

 heavily rafted that the only possible means of push- 

 ing forward was to chop open a trail. It was 

 finally decided that this was not feasible, and ac- 

 cordingly we turned back on our trail and toward 

 land. 



The moment we changed our course we came face 

 to face with the storm in all its wild fury, and then 

 I realized that it was the worst to which I had yet 

 been exposed in all my Arctic experience. I urged 

 that we return to Etah until it abated, but that the 

 Eskimos assured me was impossible, as it would bring 

 us head on to the gale, which was so terrific that 

 neither men nor dogs could stand against it. The 

 snow was so heavy and the drift so thick that we 

 could not see the dogs that hauled the sledges. The 

 poor animals, too, had become so wearied they could 



