22 Peary Ajixiliary Expedition. 
to the south of Cobourg Island made our course for Northum- 
berland Island, where we arrived on the morning of August 
13th. 
Bjorling, in his record dated October 12, said that after the 
wreck of the “Ripple’^ he tried to reach Foulke Fiord to winter 
there, but ‘‘after reaching North uraberland Island, was com- 
pelled from several causes to give up this voyage and return to 
Cary Island.” Thinking that possibly some traces of the pres- 
ence of the Swedes might be found on this island, we skirted 
the south shore and landed at one point, but nothing was found 
to throw any further light on their movements. 
After leaving Northumberland Island, we visited the native 
village of Netiulume, on the mainland to the southeast, where 
some hours were spent in securing ethnological specimens, after 
which we again started for “Anniversary Lodge,”75 miles distant. 
But our old enemy, the solid bay ice, which baffled us so often 
during the summer so delayed our advance that it was seven 
days later (August 20th) before we cast anchor in Falcon Harbor, 
in front of “the Lodge.” The continued firmness of the ice in 
the sounds and bays of this region was quite unprecedented ac- 
cording to the Eskimos, and added immeasurably to our difficul- 
ties. During the fifty days passed within the Arctic Circle, we 
had but ten days of clear open sailing. For twelve days we were 
diverted more or less from our course by heavy floe ice. For twen- 
ty-two days the “Falcon” was in the heavy pack, making but 
slow progress at best and stopped for days by the thick, unbroken 
floe of the past winter. During the remaining six days we were 
beset, first off Cape York and later on in Murchison Sound. 
After our return from a hunting expedition to Academy Bay, 
in which the combined parties took part, final preparations were 
made for departure. On August 26th Mr. Frank W. Stokes and 
Mr. E. B. Baldwin, the artist and meteorologist, respectively, of 
the Peary party, came on board. Their companions of the pre- 
vious winter. Dr. E. Vincent and Messrs. Astrup, Entrikin, Clark, 
Carr and Swain, had accompanied us to Jones Sound and were 
already established in their contracted quarters on the “Falcon.” 
Last of all, Mrs. Peary and her infant daughter and Mrs. Cross, 
