384 The National Geographic Magazine 



of extreme oscillation above low water. 

 For the United States topographic maps 

 such details probably do not come 

 within the limits of accuracy aimed at. 

 It would be desirable to know for 

 every stream the width at which the 

 water, stands longest. In practice the 

 measurements taken from the maps are 

 subject to errors so much greater than 

 this uncertainty of stage that no great 

 harm results from its neglect. In field- 

 work mapping should have regard to 

 this point. 



CONCLUSION 



There are already depicted on good 

 maps many river courses to which the 

 criteria suggested may be applied. Ab- 

 normal results should be traceable to 

 local conditions. But the vast majority 

 of meandering rivers are too small to 

 admit accurate measurement from such 



mapping as they are likely to get. The 

 essential measurements are easily made 

 on the ground. 



It is now evident that the Matfield, 

 the study of which has led to this dis- 

 cussion, has not a typical flood plain. 

 A 30-foot river demands a 540-foot me- 

 ander belt. This it hardly has between 

 its bluffs, as a glance at the map will 

 show. The river is still cutting at 

 these bluffs to remove the restraint the}' 

 now exercise on its meander system. 

 Though its plain may be called incised, 

 it is not due to the incision of meanders 

 inherited from a previous cycle, but 

 they are rather now first developing 

 on a somewhat uneven surface of gla- 

 cial deposits. The presence side by 

 side of oxbows and sloughs with the 

 close-pressed course against the bluffs 

 suggests some distinctive epithet like 

 hindered, embarrassed, or bluff-bound, 

 rather than simply undeveloped. 



PEARY'S WORK IN 1901-1902 



AFTER four years of brilliant ex- 

 plorations in the far north, Peary 

 has returned to the United States 

 and his last Arctic campaign is ended. 

 A summary of his work during the first 

 three years of this last expedition ap- 

 peared in the October, 1899, and Oc- 

 tober, 1 901, numbers of this magazine. 

 His work during the past year is sum- 

 marized in the following modest report 

 to Mr H. L. Bridgman, secretary of the 

 Peary Arctic Club : 



OFFICIAL REPORT BY ROBERT E. 

 PEARY 



Dated Sydney, September 7 \ igo2 



Left at Erik Harbor, on the Elles- 

 mere coast, August 29; the party reached 

 Payer Harbor September 16; crossing 

 Rosse Bay partly b3 r sledge and partly 



by boat, then walked across Bedford 

 Pin Island. 



About a week later my Eskimo be- 

 gan to fall sick, not one escaping. By 

 November 19, six adults and one child 

 were dead; nearly all the others very 

 weak, but out of danger. Early in Jan- 

 uary Eskimo came across from Anori- 

 tok, bringing news of the ravages of a 

 fatal epidemic through the tribe. Word 

 was sent back by these scouts for as 

 many of the survivors as could to come 

 to me, and by the end of the month 

 they began arriving. 



In February a large depot of dog- 

 food was established near Cape Louis 

 Napoleon, some 60 miles north of 

 Sabine. 



March 3 my advance party of six 

 sledges, in charge of Henson, left for 

 Conger. 



