126 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



Floeberg Beach was reached on the 1st of September, 

 and here the Alert was fated to remain eleven months. 

 The ice was occasionally driven offshore by gales, but 

 after September 16th the ice never left the shore to the 

 westward of the Alert, although to the eastward a large 

 space of clear water remained between the Alert and 

 Robeson Channel whenever the wind prevailed from the 

 westward. 



On the 18th of September the thermometer rose to 

 36° F.; on the 19th it had fallen to 15° F. The first star 

 was seen on the night of the 20th September. 



With the object of exploring the land about Cape 

 Joseph Henry, Lieutenant Aldrich, with Frederick and 

 two seamen, Ayles and Simmons, started on the 22nd, 

 with fourteen dogs dragging two sledges laden with 

 fourteen days' provisions. The dogs were allowanced at 

 the rate of 2 lb. of preserved meat daily. 



On the 26th a large party started with the object of 

 establishing a depot of provisions as far in advance to the 

 north-west as possible. This party consisted of two 

 seven-man sledges and one eleven-man sledge ; they were 

 provisioned for twenty days. The sledges were weighted 

 to 200 lb. a man. The eleven-man sledge proved too 

 heavy for the young ice, and another seven-man sledge had 

 to be taken instead. The temperature during the first 

 night fell to 1 degree below zero. 



On the 5th of October, Lieutenant Aldrich returned 

 with eleven dogs harnessed to one sledge on which his 

 light gear was secured. Everything else had been left a 

 few miles behind to enable him to reach the ship that 

 night. The dogs, sinking as they frequently did in the 

 soft snow up to their muzzles, had proved to be nearly 

 useless, and but for the help of the men the sledge would 

 have had to be abandoned. Aldrich had succeeded in 

 reaching Cape Joseph Henry, and had spent three davs in 



