187G GREENLAND SLEDGE JOURNEY. 85 



his dislike of pemmican, and lie, like many others, 

 would not eat it until hunger compelled him to do so. 



' The road, with a few exceptions, was a very 

 rough one, as there seemed to be no choice but to 

 follow the line of the high and very steep cliffs along 

 the ice. Once we tried the land-foot, but after passing 

 some inclines so steep that we had to cut a groove for 

 the hill-side runner, we were forced to lower both 

 sledges and crews down an ice-wall twenty-five feet 

 high, which caused such a delay that for the future we 

 preferred working through the hummocks. Floes were 

 rare, and of no great size, consequently our progress 

 was only moderate. We passed Lincoln Bay on the 

 llth, and arrived at Black Cape on the 14th, where 

 we were detained one day by a gale of wind, reaching 

 H.M.S. "Alert" on Sunday, the 16th of April. 



' This trial trip was of great use to us, for the 

 sledges not being heavy enabled the men to get into 

 the work without undue effort, and gave them time to 

 get accustomed to the food and novelty of the life, so 

 that we reached the " Alert " in excellent condition, 

 and ready to begin work in earnest.' 



On the 20th of April, Lieutenant Beaumont, ac- 

 companied by Lieutenant Eawson, Dr. Coppinger, and 

 twenty-one men, dragging four sledges weighted to 

 218 Ibs. per man, started for Greenland, the officers 

 themselves, as usual, always dragging whenever not 

 employed in selecting a road through the rough ice. 



With the exception of Eawson and two of the 

 men, who had only rested for two days, the whole of the 

 Greenland party under Beaumont enjoyed the great 

 advantage of a thorough rest of four days, after a 



