PEARY'S EXPEDITION (1899) 311 



lain fifteen years formed a lunch. On reaching Fort 

 Conger, Peary had a suspicious " wooden " feeling in his 

 feet, and on having them examined it was found that 

 both were frost-bitten. He ultimately lost eight of his 

 toes. 



The party remained at Fort Conger until the 18th 

 February, when a start was made for the Windward, 

 which was reached in eleven days. The mean minimum 

 daily temperature during this period was the astonishing 

 one of — 56T8°F., and on the day the Windward was 

 reached the temperature went down to —65° F. 



During April the supplies left at Cape Lawrence were 

 moved to Fort Conger. On 19th April, Peary again left 

 for Fort Conger, although he could not move without 

 crutches, and Discovery Harbour was reached on the 

 28th. Early in May he attempted to make a recon- 

 naissance of the Greenland north-west coast, but found 

 Robeson Channel impracticable. 



On the 23rd May, Peary and his party started for the 

 ship, and covered the 250 miles in six days. 



In July, Peary crossed Ellesmere Land to the west 

 coast. Soon after his return from this trip, the 

 Windward was able to make its way to Etah, where 

 Peary communicated with a relief expedition in charge 

 of Bridgman. At the end of August both the Windward 

 and the relief ship were sent home, and Peary and his 

 party were left at Etah, where the winter was passed. 



On the 19th February 1900, Peary sent off a division 

 of seven sledges to Fort Conger ; on the 26th February 

 other six sledges left ; and on the 4th March he followed 

 with nine sledges. He reached Fort Conger on 28th 

 March, and learned that the advance parties had killed 

 twenty-one musk-oxen close to Conger. 



At Fort Conger, Peary decided to make a sledge- 

 journey along the north coast of Greenland. He left on 



