FIELD WORK OF THE PEARY ARCTIC CLUB, 1898-1902. 443 



That night the temperature fell to —25° F. , forming a film of A'oung- ice 

 upon the water. The next day I moved up close to the cliffs, and then 

 with three Eskimos reconnoitered the young ice. I found that by 

 proceeding with extreme care it would in most places support a man. 



With experienced Ahsayoo ahead constantl}^ testing the ice with his 

 seal spear, m^^self next, and two Eskimos following, all with feet wide 

 apart, and sliding instead of walking, we crept past the cliffs. Return- 

 ing we brushed the thin film of newly fallen snow off' the ice with our 

 feet for a width of some 4 feet, to give the cold free access to it. 



1 quote from my diary for the 27th: 



At last we are past the barrier, which has been looming before me for the last ten 

 days, the open water at the Black Horn Cliffs. Sent two of my men, whose nerves 

 are disturbed by the prospect ahead, back to Conger. This leaves me with Henson 

 and three Eskimos. My supplies can now be carried on the remaining sledges. 

 Still further stiffened by the continuous low temperature of the previous night, the 

 main sheet of new ice in front of the cliffs was not hazardous as long as the sledges . 

 kept a few hundred feet apart, did not stop, and their drivers kept some yards away 

 to one side. Beyond the limit of my previous day's reconnoissance there were areas 

 of much younger ice, which caused me considerable apprehension, as it buckled to a 

 very disquieting extent beneath dogs and sledges, and from the motion of the outside 

 pack was crushed up in places while narrow cracks opened up in others. Finally, 

 to my relief, we reached the ice-foot beyond the cliffs and camped. 



The next day there was a continuous lane of water 100 feet wide 

 along the ice foot by our camp, and the space in front of the cliffs was 

 again open water. We crossed just in time. 



Up to Cape Stanton we had to hew a continuous road along the ice- 

 foot. After this the going was much better to Cape Bryant. Off 

 this section of the coast the pack was in constant motion, and an almost 

 continuous lane of water extended along the ice foot. A little west of 

 Cape Bryant I killed 2 musk oxenj the flesh of which jny dogs highly 

 appreciated. A long search at Cape Br3'ant finally discoverd the 

 remains of Lock wood's cache and cairn, which had been scattered by 

 bears. At 3.30 p. m. the 1st of May I left Cape Bryant to cross the 

 wide indentation lying between Cape Bryant and Cape Britannia. 

 Three marches, mostl}' in thick weather and over alternating hum- 

 mocky blue ice and areas of deep snow, brought us at la. m. of the 

 4th to Cape North (the northern point of Cape Britannia Island). 

 From this camp, after a sleep, I sent back 2 more Eskimos and the 12 

 poorest dogs, leaving Henson, 1 Eskimo, and myself with 3 sledges 

 and 10 dogs for the permanent advance party. 



From Cape North, a ribbon of young ice, on the so-called tidal crack 

 which extends along this coast, gave us a good lift nearh^ across Nor- 

 densk]"r)ld Inlet. Then it became unsafe, and we climbed a heavy rubble 

 barrier to the old floe ice inside, which we followed to Cape Benet and 

 camped. Here we were treated to another snowstorm. 



