PEARY'S EXPEDITION (1895) 30 



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On 1st April 1895, Peary, Henson, and Lee, with six 

 Eskimo, six sledges, and sixty dogs, left the Lodge. On 

 one of the sledges, drawn by thirteen picked dogs, were 

 the supplies for the return trip, and also those for con- 

 sumption at and beyond Independence Bay. It had 

 also the tent and sleeping and cooking gear, the total 

 weight being about 1000 lb. Another sledge drawn by 

 ten dogs held about 750 lb. of dog-food. 



On the second day's march the vicinity of one of the 

 caches was reached, and another determined attempt was 

 made to find it, but in vain. 



When the neighbourhood of the next cache was reached, 

 a stop was made, and the Eskimo were sent out to make 

 a search. In a short time a bag was found attached 

 to a pole projecting only 3 inches above the surface. 

 Peary had stopped within 100 yards of it. This cache 

 contained ten cases of biscuit and a case and a half of 

 milk, and was very acceptable. During the search, one 

 of the Eskimo took the opportunity to decamp with his 

 sledge and dogs. 



During the next three days, journeys of 22, 28, and 

 SO miles were made, and carried the party well into the 

 snow-shed of the Humboldt Glacier. They had now 

 arrived near the pemmican cache, and a twenty-four hours' 

 search was made for it, but it ended in failure. Peary 

 and Henson had their noses frozen, and Lee and Peary 

 each had a frost-bitten toe. Peary had hoped against 

 hope that this cache would be found-, although he 

 had made up the rations of the journey without reference 

 to it. 



From this point the Eskimo returned along the tracks 

 made by the sledges. Never before had any of their 

 tribe penetrated the heart of the ice-cap. 



Peary now took the lead with a sledge drawn by twelve 

 dogs, and set the course by means of a boat-compass 



