PEARY'S EXPEDITION (1895) 305 



into which both Peary and Henson frequently fell, but 

 were always able to save themselves. 



At the junction of the ice-cap with the land was a 

 vertical wall of ice impracticable of descent. Finally a 

 glacier was found over which they had to pick their way 

 among crevasses. 



The laud consisted of bare jagged rocks which cut their 

 boots and bruised their feet. Leaving the sledge behind, 

 they wandered about the greater part of a day in a 

 drizzling snowstorm in search of a practicable route, but 

 failed to find one, or to see any game. Next day they 

 returned to the tent on the ice-cap. 



A serious condition of affairs now stared them in the 

 face, but after very little discussion all agreed to stake 

 everything on finding musk-oxen. They therefore started 

 back for the cache, and when it was reached Peary and 

 Henson were quite used up. 



One sledge and scant rations for themselves on the 

 return journey were left at this camp, and everything 

 else was taken on towards the north. 



When a point about 15 miles from the edge of the ice- 

 cap was reached, Peary found that they were approaching 

 the land on a course about 5 miles east of the one on 

 which he had descended to it in 1892. He was here 

 able to look over the eastern edge of the Academy Glacier 

 basin, and make out the summits of the east-coast land 

 considerably farther to the south than in 1892. Away 

 due north a magnificent mountain was seen which was not 

 observed in 1892. 



A large cone of detritus passed in 1892 was reached 

 just in time to take shelter from a storm which held them 

 prisoners two days. 



Peary here decided to leave Lee in the tent to give a 

 frozen toe a chance to recover, and to take Henson and 

 all the dogs with him in an attempt to find musk-oxen. 

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