COOK'S EXPEDITION (1908) 327 



skin shirt, a blue-fox coat, bear-skin pants, kamiks and 

 hare-skin stockings. A band of fox-tails was fastened 

 under the knee and about the waist. A seal-skin coat and 

 some extra clothing were also carried in the personal bag. 



On the morning of 18th March six of the Eskimo left 

 Svartevog on the return journey. Koolootingwah and 

 Inugito were taken on by Dr. Cook as a supporting party 

 to give assistance over the rough ice of the pack-edge. 

 Shortly after noon Dr. Cook started over the polar floes, 

 on a course slightly west of north. The first day's march 

 covered 26 miles. Next morning the temperature was 

 minus 56° F. Some troublesome crushed-ice was encountered 

 on the second march, but yet the party added 21 miles to 

 their credit. The difficulties increased on the third day, 

 and the distance travelled was reduced to 16 miles. Here 

 Dr. Cook sent his two supporting Eskimo back. They 

 returned with empty sledges, and although their dogs had 

 received no food during the previous three days, they 

 hoped to cover the 63 miles to land in one long day's 

 travel ! They carried a letter instructing Francke to wait 

 until 5th June 1908, and if Dr. Cook had not returned he 

 was to place Koolootingwah in charge and go home, either 

 by the whalers or by Danish ships to the south. 



Dr. Cook believed that he had now passed beyond the 

 zone of ice crushed by the influence of land-pressure. On 

 the morning of the fourth march the temperature was at 

 the low figure of 63° below zero F., but fortunately there 

 was no wind. Heiberg Island was now nearly lost to 

 view. A march of fourteen hours carried the party 29 

 miles. Soon after the usual snow-house was built, a storm 

 arose, and a further start was not made until the after- 

 noon of the following day. From minus 59° the temperature 

 rose to minus 46°, but the wind made the party feel the 

 piercing cold very keenly. This march brought them to 

 a great lead several miles wide. It was covered with ice 



