APPENDIX 701 



a distance of 440 miles, or an average of two and four-tenths miles per 

 day. 



All this time, while drifting, astronomical observations had been 

 taken on nearly every clear day and we eventually obtained a line of 

 soundings about 900 miles long. The deepest bottom sounding obtained 

 was over 2,500 fathoms at a distance of about 90 miles from the north 

 coast of the continent. A distance of forty miles from shore we had 

 bottom soundings of over 850 fathoms. The reader can, by looking at 

 the accompanying chart, obtain a better idea of the nature of the 

 soundings obtained and our drift than from any description. 



I SUFFER FROM ASTHMA 



In the latter part of August I developed asthma. During Sep- 

 tember I was very sick and wheezed my way through many sleepless 

 nights. Having had no experience with asthma, I had no knowledge of 

 what might happen from that disease and feared that I might by it be 

 incapacitated from performing the duties evolving on me as the Com- 

 mander of the drifting party. The men I had with me were inex- 

 perienced and if anything should happen to me there would be danger 

 of the whole party being lost. So I made up my mind to cut the trip 

 shorter than had been my original intention. One day late in Septem- 

 ber I called the men together in front of the tent. 



"We're going to turn back," I said. "Winter is coming on and I'm 

 not in shape to look after a party through such conditions as we may 

 have to face." 



It was, after all, not so trying a decision to make, for the results 

 of our explorations so far had been satisfactory. 



WE START ON OUR RETURN 



So after 184 days' drift we started on the return journey, with 55 

 days' full rations left of the original supply which had been good for 

 101 days. The trip to shore from latitude 73.9° N., in October was a 

 unique experience in itself and showed the previously unknown possi- 

 bilities of Arctic travel early in the winter.* We had to cross some 



* This has always been considered, and rightlj', the most difficult and 

 dangerous season of the whole year to travel. March and April, with intense 

 cold and perpetual light are of course the best months. In summer there is 

 real water between the broken floes which can be easily negotiated in our 

 sled-boats and there is still continuous light. But in October daylight grows 

 scarce rapidly and there are nearly continuous snowstorms and fogs. The 

 thin ice lies treacherous under a blanket of snow that gives the same appear- 

 ance to stretches that would support an elephant and to others that would 

 engulf a child at play. The only safety lies in jabbing your ice spear through 

 the snow ahead continually to discover if the ice beneath is firm or mushy. 

 Storkerson's official report of this journey which would have been (but for the 

 skill and judgment of the men who made it) tlie most difficult and dangerous 



