278 THE CONQUEST OF THE NORTH POLE 



Godhavn was reached on 27th June, and left on the 

 29th. A stop was made at Upernavik, where Peary 

 expected to obtain a kayak and a native interpreter, but 

 failed to get either. 



No obstruction to the Kites progress was met until 

 about 16 miles north of the Duck Islands. Here the 

 dreaded Melville Bay pack was encountered, and the Kite 

 after boring her way from the 2nd till the 4th July was 

 completely beset, and did not escape till the 17th. 



On the 11th July the ice slackened a little, and the 

 Kite made attempts to forge ahead. While at this work 

 a large cake of ice struck the rudder, jamming it hard 

 over, and tearing the wheel from the hands of the two men 

 on duty. One of the men was thrown clear over the 

 wheel, and the next instant the iron tiller had caught 

 Peary's leg between it and the deck-house, and snapped 

 both bones just above the ankle. He was immediately 

 carried to the cabin, where his leg was set. 



This was an extremely serious accident for Peary, and a 

 man with less determination would have given up the 

 expedition and returned home. This idea did not seem 

 to occur to Peary. Even with a broken leg at this critical 

 period, he decided that everything must go on. 



It was his intention to secure a winter camp on the 

 north shore of Inglefield Gulf; but the Kite met unbroken 

 ice, and was ultimately run into McCormick Bay. Here 

 a site for the house was soon selected, and preparations 

 were at once made to land provisions and stores. 



On the 26th July work was commenced on the house. 

 During the delay in Melville Bay pack, Peary had the 

 wood cut and fitted, and now it had only to be nailed 

 together and erected. 



The interior dimensions of the house were to be 21 feet 

 in length, 12 feet in width, and 8 feet in height from 

 floor to ceiling. It consisted of an inner and an outer 



