1 86 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



reached on 22nd April'. The party arrived at Cape 

 Bryant on 27th April. On this journey one of 

 Beaumont's caches was discovered, and the rations 

 found were taken on to Cape Bryant. 



At this point the supporting party were sent back, 

 and Lockwood, Brainard, and Christiansen, with rations 

 for twenty-five days, set out on 29th April towards their 

 farthest north. The weight carried amounted to about 

 783 lb., and consisted of rations 227 lb., dog-pemmican 

 300 lb., equipments 176 lb., and dog-sledge 80 lb. 



A course across the fiord towards Cape May was taken, 

 and the weather was delightful. Sixteen miles were 

 covered in eight hours. Next day the snow was soft 

 and deep, like that experienced by Beaumont, and it was 

 found necessary to advance with half-load and then return 

 for the other. Lockwood now gave up the idea of visiting- 

 Cape May, and directed his course towards Cape Britannia. 

 After this hard work Lockwood and Brainard could not 

 sleep well, but the Eskimo invariably snored two minutes 

 after composing himself to rest. On the 2nd May they 

 came to a crack in the ice, and had to follow it several 

 hundred yards before they could cross it. Thinking this 

 would be a good chance to get a deep-sea sounding, 

 Lockwood ran out all the line he had, but did not reach 

 bottom. He then attached coils of seal-thongs, then some 

 rope, and finally the dog-whip, but still did not reach 

 bottom at 820 feet. After hesitating whether he would 

 also use the dog-traces, they began to pull up the line, 

 and had drawn out the whip, when the rope broke, and 

 everything below was lost. All further attempts at 

 sounding were thus prevented. 



Cape Britannia was reached on 4th May. This was 

 the Ultima Thule of Beaumont's hopes, and quite as far 

 as Greely expected Lockwood to reach. A cairn was 

 built, and in it was deposited a record, five days' rations, 



