SECOND WELLMAN EXPEDITION 515 



o'clock p. in., moved the camp to the north side of Storm bay, on the 

 edge of Quereau glacier, to an elevation of 100 feet ; very thick snowfall 

 and wind strong from the southeast ; 9 p. in., blinding snowfall continues 

 before southeast wind; 10 p. m., wind gentle, but accompanied by a 

 shower of sleet and dense fog; 11 p. in., light fall of hail for three min- 

 utes. September 19: 11 a. m., weather cleared; temperature 28.0°; 

 wind gentle, from the west ; 3 p. in., station at an elevation of 1,100 feet 

 above sea-level, on Quereau glacier, north from the previous camp; 

 average wind velocity since 11 a. m., 20 miles per hour from the west; 

 considerable fog at times; 8.30 p. m., station advancing northward, the 

 elevation now being 1,130 feet; dense fog generally prevalent, being 

 either "blown up" or formed upon the glacier by the west wind com- 

 ing from Markham and Austria sounds; frequent glimpses of a golden 

 glow upon the clouds from the fog hidden sun in the northwest assisted 

 in keeping the course with the compass ; 11 p. m., wind continuing strong 

 from the northwest and darkness upon the moving station, hut by 

 noting the lines of snowdrift, we continued to advance. September 20: 

 Quereau glacier, 1 a. m., crossing a series of inequalities or broad and 

 gently sloping valleys leading toward the west face of the glacier ; 2 a. m., 

 the surface beginning to slope northward as well as westward; 4 a. m., 

 first view of the summit of Cape Schmarda ; 6 a. in., " station " at the 

 foot of Quereau glacier, two miles east of Fort McKinley, and at 7.30 

 a m. at Fort McKinley. 



The closing ch^s of September were spent in completing the 

 fort and in cutting up walrus meat for dog food. During the 

 night of September 30 and October 1, .young ice formed on the 

 surface of the sea, and it became impossible to use the boats save 

 in open spaces. The temperature of the air had now sunk to 

 12° F. 



Six days later I determined to make an effort to communicate 

 with Mr Well man, at Cape Tegetthoff, and to ask to be permitted 

 to continue the meteorological work at Fort McKinle}' in per- 

 son, and lor this reason, as well as to determine the condition 

 of travel southward, I dispatched, on October 8, three of our 

 Norwegian supporters b}' boat to make the attempt to reach Cape 

 T( getthofF. They, however, returned in a short time, on the same 

 day, and reported it to be an utter impossibility to force the boat 

 through the •' mushy " surface of the sea, and there remained 

 iKiw no other course to pursue except to wait patientl} r for the 

 forming ice to harden, and then, agreeably to instructions, to 

 return to headquarters, at Cape Tegetthoff. For the first time 

 this season (October 11) the temperature dropped below zero, 

 a half degree Fahrenheit, and on the loth to 10° below. On 

 the 1 Itb. although the young ice was strong enough to support 

 the weight of a large bear, it was still too unsafe to admit of 



