XXIV 



RETURNING TO THE " LAST WOOD" 



FOR one day we went to the westward, and on Tuesday, 

 April Qth, we turned our backs on the Arctic Ocean and 

 started for the " last wood." 



Aside from the inexpressible gratification at success 

 and of facing the south, the second and third days of our 

 return journey were the pleasantest of the trip. It was 

 still very cold and the wind fierce, but then no storm beat 

 on our heads, and we were lucky to get meat enough for 

 a bite all round. The sun shone brilliantly on both days, 

 and I had my first and only view of the glory of an arctic 

 sun, surrounded by a triple corona, with longitudinal and 

 latitudinal cross-sectioning rays, and all crowned with four 

 mock suns. This is quite a common spectacle in the 

 arctic regions ; but it stormed so steadily during my trip 

 that I saw very little of celestial display either by day or 

 by night. 



We saw more caribou in these two days than in the 

 entire eleven days' travel north from the " last wood " to 

 our turning-point. Evidently we had been ahead of all 

 but a few stragglers, and were just now meeting the bands 

 on their migration to the arctic coast. 



As we were camping the night of the second day I 

 viewed such a band as made it easy for me to believe the 

 stories of vast numbers in summer, when all the bands 

 join in one countless herd. We were putting up our lodge 



