202 MV ARCTIC JOURNAL 



band would win the coveted prize. They would not believe 

 that I did not know, because I had known that Mr. Peary and 

 Astrup would return from the inland ice. 



Friday, August 19. The day is not a promising one; dark 

 clouds are gathering and the air seems oppressive. I trust 

 that the search-parties will find Mr. Verhoeff to-day, for he 

 must be running short of provisions by this time. We calcu- 

 lated that what he had could by economizing be made to last 

 him through Wednesday, and to-day is Friday. There is no 

 sign of boat or ship. 



Most of our provisions are stowed away on the " Kite," 

 among them all the fresh meat ; in the excitement we forgot 

 to get any out for our use, and to-day we are living on crack- 

 ers and coffee. 



Sunday, August 21. When this morning's fog lifted at 

 noon, the " Kite " was seen off Five-Glacier Valley. All day 

 yesterday we watched for her and waited for some news, but 

 heard and saw nothing. Seeing the vessel, I supposed of 

 course that Verhoeff had been found, and the " Kite " had 

 gone round to the valley to pick up the rest of the party. 



After hours of watching we saw the " Kite " get up steam 

 and head down the bay toward Redcliffe, and late in the after- 

 noon she stopped opposite our house, and the professor came 

 off to me in a boat, only to bring the distressing news that 

 nothing had been seen or heard of Verhoeff. Mr. Peary 

 was then exploring the shore from the mouth of the valley 

 around Cairn Point to the head of Robertson Bay, where it 



