WASHINGTON LAND TO HALL LAND 



WE TAKE LEAVE OF OUR LAST PACK-SLEDGES 



There was a feeling of summer in the air when we paid our 

 visit to Hall's Grave, for quiet, mild weather and warm sun 

 greeted us pleasantly after the three days of storm by Peter- 

 mann Fjord. 



The sun, which shone night and day, was most agreeable in 

 the cool night with its softer light. As we were not troubled 

 by the cold we could give ourselves whole-heartedly to the busi- 

 ness consequent on this being our last day of companionship 

 with Sipsu and Inukitsoq. They had to leave us here and 

 hunt their way homeward via Grant Land, so for the last time 

 we were able to send a greeting home, with a message as to 

 how we had fared hitherto. 



I have already mentioned that Sipsu was not new to this 

 territory. He was an experienced traveller who had often fol- 

 lowed Peary on his Polar Expeditions and knew Grant Land 

 well ; as a hunter he made certain and safe dispositions — a calm 

 man when luck turned against him and intrepid in a dangerous 

 situation. He was helpful, always good-tempered, being 

 merely enlivened by the risk attendant on a long journey where 

 success in hunting constitutes the thin thread by which life 

 hangs. 



His companion Inukitsoq had really only accompanied us 

 because he was Ajako's brother. He was a good-natured 

 fellow, in no way remarkable, but in the company of Sipsu he 

 could always be used with advantage for driving those loads 

 which a pack-sledge had to carry. 



These two men were to take with them southward the 

 geological collections we had gathered from Cape Constitution 

 to Polaris Promontory. As we could not spare them any pro- 

 visions, they were to take the road across Fort Conger, 

 Greely's famous winter quarters, where musk-ox was always to 

 be found. 



We ourselves had reckoned on the possibility of having to 

 cut across Hall Basin in order to get our provisions in Grant 

 Land before we lay a course north to the unknown and 



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