SUMMER CRUISE 45 



general level of the front of the ice-cap does not appear to be 

 greatly over 1 3 000 feet in elevation. 



On the trip northward the ship passed close to several of the 

 places where the Eskimo usually reside during the summer 

 months, but no signs of them were seen as far north as the 

 Littleton islands, whence we crossed to Cape Sabine, after mak- 

 ing a call into the harbour of Etah, famous as the most northern 

 human habitation on the earth, being 78 30' N". latitude. At 

 Etah we saw a number of deserted underground houses, where 

 the natives live during the winter, and a small quantity of coal 

 left by Peary, who used this place as headquarters during one 

 of his attempts to reach the pole. 



Our voyage northward was stopped by heavy sheets of Arctic 

 ice coming down Smith sound in the vicinity of the Littleton 

 islands. Into this neighbourhood it would be dangerous and 

 foolish to force the ship for no definite purpose. A crossing 

 was therefore made to Cape Sabine, and considerable anxiety 

 for the ship's safety was felt passing between the great pans of 

 thick solid ice, some of which were miles in extent, and rose 

 from three to six feet above the water, with pinnacles of much 

 greater height. Some very hard knocks were given to the ship 

 as she was forced through the heavy ice from one lead of water 

 to the next, and everybody felt relieved when the little harbour 

 at Cape Sabine was reached in safety. 



A landing was made here, and a visit paid to the last winter 

 quarters of Peary, which are situated near the eastern end of 

 the cape on the side of Payer harbour, formed by a few small 

 islands lying a short distance from the cape. The harbour 

 being full of ice, the ship could not enter it, but stood off under 

 steam, it being dangerous to anchor with the large sheets of 

 heavy ice passing southward on the tide. The landing was 

 made about a mile from the house, which was reached by climb- 

 ing over the granite cliffs of the shore, at two o'clock on a 



