CAPE SALOR TO LOCKWOOD'S BEACON 



they should all go southward along Grinnell Land, attempting 

 to communicate with the relief ship or depots. 



When they broke up, the order was given that private- 

 property must be left behind ; the officers, however, being 

 permitted to bring a load of 16 pounds each, whereas the 

 rankers were only allowed 8 pounds. Such partiality must 

 have a very bad effect during an expedition, where no differen- 

 tiation based on rank ought to be permitted. Furthermore, 

 the unfortunate decision was carried that all dogs were to be 

 left behind at Fort Conger, whereby they were cut off from all 

 possibilities of hunting, should they have to undertake another 

 wintering without outside help. 



On the 9th of August all men left the station in boats. At 

 this time they had yet provisions for a year, and they knew that 

 the country was prolific with game. 



Under great difficulties the boats, through drifting hum- 

 mocks of ice, reached Cape Sabine, about 400 miles distant, 

 where at last in some beacons they found information of what 

 had hitherto been done for the relief of the expedition. The 

 first ship was wrecked ; the second, not being able to penetrate 

 the ice sufficiently far up, had returned with all the provisions. 

 In another beacon they were solemnly assured that everything 

 in human power would be done to save the expedition next 

 year. 



There was nothing to do but prepare for winter as well as 

 might be. A wretched house, consisting almost entirely of a 

 boat with the keel turned up, was erected on Pim Island. A 

 few depots were found, but far from sufficient for the needs of 

 autumn, winter, and spring. One can picture to oneself the 

 regret with which the men thought of the good warm winter- 

 house at Fort Conger, where even a coal-mine was to be found 

 a short distance from the door, and of all the good provisions 

 which would have seen them through the winter ; finally, there 

 were the dogs, which could have led the hunters far inland on 

 musk-ox hunts. 



This "starvation camp," as it was later called, gives the 

 most tragic pictures of human need and misery. Autumn 



149 



