430 FIELD WORK OF THE PEARY ARCTIC CLUB, 1898-1902. 



utilize the winter moons in pushing- supplies to Fort Cong-er. then 

 move my party to that station early in Februar3% and on the return of 

 the sun start from there as a base, and make my attempt on the .Pole 

 via Cape Hecla. I might succeed in spite of the low latitude of my 

 starting- point, and in any event could be back to the ship before the 

 ice broke up, with thorough knowledge of the coast and conditions 

 north of me. 



September 18. — I left the ship with two sledges and my two best 

 P^skimos, with provisions for twelve days, for a reconnoissance of 

 Princess Marie Bay. 



September W. — I reached the head of a small fjord running- south- 

 west from neai- the head of Princess Marie Bay, and found a narrow^ 

 neck of land about 3 miles wide separating- it from a branch of 

 Buchanan Strait. Bache Island of the chart is, therefore, a pen- 

 insula, and not an island. From a commanding- peak in the neigh- 

 borhood 1 could see that both arms of Buchanan Strait ended about 

 south of my position; that the "strait" is in reality a bay, and that 

 Hayes Sound does not exist. On the I21st and 22d 1 penetrated the 

 arms of Princess Marie Bay, designated as Sawver and Woodward 

 bays on the charts, and demonstrated them to be entirely closed. 



8eptemher23. — While entering a little big-ht about midway of the 

 north shore of Bache Peninsula, 1 came upon two bears. These my 

 dog- chased ashore, and held at bay until I could come up and kill 

 them. 



Septeinh</r25. — I crossed Bache Peninsula on foot with my two men, 

 from Bear Camp to the intersection of the northern and southern 

 arms of Buchanan Bay. Here we found numerous walrus, and could 

 command the southern arm of the large g-lacier at its head. Compara- 

 tively recent musk-ox tracks conyinced me of the presence of musk 

 ox on the peninsula. The next day I returned to the Windtvai'd to 

 retit and start for Buchanan Bay via Victoria Head and Cape Albert, 

 in the quest of walrus and musk oxen. Henson, in a reconnoissance 

 northward during- my absence, had been unable to get more than a few 

 miles be3'ond Cape Louis Napoleon, sea ice and ice foot being alike 

 inipracticaV)le. A day or two after my return I started him oft' again 

 to try it. 



Septe)iiher SO. — 1 started for Buchanan Bay. Between Victoria 

 Head and Cape Albert found f re^h tracks of a herd of musk oxen and 

 follow^ed them until obliterated by the wind. Reached the walrus 

 grounds in Buchanan Bay late on October 4, and the next da}^ secured 

 a walrus, and the remainder of my party arrived. The following day 

 everyone was out after musk oxen, but, finding it very fogg}^ on the 

 uplands of the peninsula, I returned to camp and went up to Buchanan 

 Ba}' in search of bears, the tracks of which we had seen. Returning 

 to camp, I found that one of m^^ hunters had killed a bull nuisk ox. 



