48 MY ARCTIC JOURNAL 



Matt and Mane with her children, sailed for the head of 

 McCormick Bay, where it had been decided that the boys 

 should ascend the cliffs and attack the ice. Redcliffe House 

 is about fifteen miles from the head of the bay, and this 

 distance had to be rowed, for we got no favoring breeze. It 

 was late in the evening when we rounded a point of land 

 whence we could see the green valley stretching from the 

 water's edge back to the giant black cliffs, which here form 

 the boundaries of the inland ice. The landscape was a beauti- 

 ful one. As I looked I beheld moving objects on one of the 

 hillsides, which, seen through the glass, seemed to me to be 

 the size of a cow. We at once knew they were reindeer, and 

 their apparent size was due to mirage. Astrup was landed 

 with a Winchester at a point where he could go round and 

 come upon the grazing herd from behind the hill ; it was 

 hoped they would not see him, and that he would bag quite a 

 number. After landing Astrup we kept on until we were 

 opposite the center of the valley ; here our boat was run 

 ashore, and we decided to camp. 



Mr. Peary told me to take a run over the rocks and down 

 the valley in order to get warm, as I had become chilled from 

 sitting in the boat and not exercising for several hours ; so 

 after seeing him safely on the little knoll about twenty feet 

 above the shore-line, where we intended to make camp, I 

 strolled away. Upon climbing the hill, just back of the camp- 

 ing-ground, I came in sight of the herd of deer which we had 

 seen from the boat, and as I watched them I saw the smoke 



