THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 339 



I had a feeling that leaving a newly-discovered land of unknown 

 extent so soon after finding it needed some justification, and I made 

 the following lengthy and rather formal entry in my diary: 



"determine to turn home 



"The season- when survey work can best be done here is just begin- 

 ning, there are plenty of caribou on land and seals on the sea ice, so 

 food and fuel are assured, but I have nevertheless decided to turn with 

 the sun on June 22nd and follow her south to Kellett. The reasons, in 

 the order in which they most obtrude themselves on me now, are: 



"I. If we follow the coastline farther east we get Melville Island 

 between us and home, and I have become convinced that crossing it 

 would at this season be difficult. For the land is mapped rugged in 

 many places and if it were to prove like the land near the Leffingwell 

 Crags, even the ten miles — if correct — where the chart shows Melville 

 Island narrowest would be nearly half a month's task to cross, judging 

 from my previous experience with sleds in rugged, muddy and stony 

 land in summer. We should therefore, if we went farther, have to 

 double back on our trail when we finally turned home or else go east 

 around Melville Island. 



"II. If we turn now we may hope to reach Kellett by ice all the 

 way. Thus we could probably be home before July 15, and could on 

 the way determine the NW coast of Banks Island instrumentally — it 

 seems to be considerably out in longitude, and this it is as important 

 to correct as to map new land. If we delay much beyond this date we 

 can hope to have the ice take us no farther than say the Bay of Mercy, 

 whence we should have to 'pack dogs' overland, at the rate of 8 miles 

 per day or so. This would be an added delay of two weeks perhaps and 

 we might miss early ships that come to Banks Island — -if any do come. 



"III. It is necessary to start home soon to be at Kellett to meet the 

 North Star if she finds an early season. It is even more necessary now 

 than last year (if that were possible) to have a more northerly base, and 

 for this the Star is our only present hope. 



"IV. Starting home now promises to land me at Kellett in time to 

 make out my reports to the Government to send should a whaler touch 

 at Kellett— an important matter, as the plan I had when I left Kellett 

 last February was to go myself for the Star to Coronation Gulf and I 

 left some of the financial part of my report to be completed then. On 

 deciding to send Wilkins in my stead I had to leave these reports at 

 loose ends. 



"V. If we go home now the trip should not prove very difficult, and 

 the men are getting to show the strain of the long trip. We are over 

 four months out now. If I work them too hard now they may rebel at 

 going next year, and the trip west from Land's End is still to make. 



"VI. The trip west from Land's End must be made next year. Star 



