CAPE SALOR TO LOCKWOOD'S BEACON 



fortune with a mighty least, in which the dogs take a generous 

 part ; then we decide to set off in the evening of the same day. 

 The Polar-ice, closely packed against the coast, has lie gun 

 to develop casual lanes, approximately 4 kilometres l'roni land ; 

 it was by one of these lanes that Ajako had found his seal, 

 which, as usual, was remarkably shy. 



TOWARDS CAPE MOHN 



June 18th-20th. — Cape Neumeyer is — at any rate in the 

 weather we have had — an unusually depressing cape; it pos- 

 sesses occasional little valleys where a chary growth of grass 

 enlivens the visitor ; but apart from this all is stone and stone, 

 which not even by their shape enliven the traveller. We have 

 spent our most intense hours in this place, but other men also 

 have crossed this point with death at their heels. It was here 

 that Peary on his Polar expedition in the spring of 1916 tried 

 to land when, starting from the northern extremity of Grant 

 Land, he had been driven out of his course by a strong eastward 

 current. 



I look across the pressed-up and difficult Polar-ice where 

 a way had to be hewn for the sledges through the ridges, whilst 

 hungry men, living on raw and frozen bits of starved dog-flesh, 

 toiled towards the coasts where also we had found it difficult to 

 exist. It brings to my mind my friend Manigssoq, who on this 

 journey had his eyes frost-bitten and was marked for life. In 

 vain had he tried to keep up with his comrades, who in longer 

 and longer days' journeys struggled for life as they nearcd 

 Grant Land, where the ship and salvation was to be found. 

 When at length he could manage no further, he was left in a 

 cold snow-hut with the frozen leg of a dog for his only food, and 

 here he fought alone against incipient frost-bite for days, until 

 a relief party from the ship reached him and restored him to life. 



With our gipsy-like temperaments, and on the strength of 

 yesterday's catch, we were now in the happy position of being 

 able to ignore for the present the conflicts of life which might 

 here arise. "Forward," which was our watchword until the 



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