PEARY'S EXPEDITION (1894) 297 



gallons of boiling hot tea in canteens, and found the party 

 about 2 miles from the moraine. Peary then returned 

 to the Lodge, which he finally left on 8th March, and 

 reached the ice-cap party in the evening. 



Next day the cache was reached, and the snow was 

 found to have drifted about it during the winter to a 

 depth of 4 feet. The Eskimo formed snow igloos, and 

 two days were spent here making preparations for the 

 final start. On the 10th March one of the dogs died 

 from piblockto, the dreaded dog-disease of Greenland, and 

 this was naturally considered a serious incident. 



A start was made on 12th March, after considerable 

 difficulty with the dogs. Lee's toe had been nipped 

 again, and at night it was found that he could not proceed 

 much farther. Astrup also informed Peary that he was 

 threatened with the illness which attacked him in 

 September, and that he was not able to go on. This loss 

 of two of his best men was a serious blow to Peary's plans. 

 It had been his intention, should he reach Independence 

 Bay, to send one party northward, another south to Cape 

 Bismarck, and thence over the ice-cap to Whale Sound ; 

 while a third party was to remain at Independence Bay 

 and survey that region while awaiting the return of the 

 northern detachment. 



On the 14th March, Peary, accompanied by Clark, 

 returned to the Lodge with Lee and Astrup. The Lodge 

 was again left on the afternoon of the 15th. The night 

 was passed in a snow igloo, and the party was reached 

 during the following afternoon. Next day the weather 

 made it impossible for them to advance, and so continued 

 for three days. The temperature was from 35° to 40° F. 

 below zero. 



On 22nd March a start was made, but the weather 

 was still unfavourable, and only 3 miles were covered. 

 The party now experienced a violent storm, which lasted 



