9 
degrees with a moderate breeze from the north. In the evening, owing to 
the prevalence of soft snow, much difficulty was experienced in finding 
suitable snow for the building of an igloo. 
The head of the fiord was reached in the morning of January 11. 
From Sirmilling bay westward the general elevation of the land decreases 
and at the head of the fiord the flanking ridges are not more than 300 or 
400 feet high with occasional higher hills reaching to 800 feet. The valley 
continuing the fiord inland, to the west, was followed and for several miles 
travel was very good along the river which wound down the valley. But 
farther inland soft snow in increasing quantity was encountered, making 
progress very slow. About 15 miles inland, and near dark, the course 
followed by the river narrowed to a gorge about 100 feet wide. Camp 
was made here. The snow was soft, powdery, and waist deep. The 
stream valley some distance beyond was seen to bend to the northeast 
with no visible exit to the northwest, the direction it was desired to travel. 
It was obviously impossible to continue the proposed journey. The next 
day the return journey w T as commenced and on the second day the outpost 
at Sirmilling bay was reached. The weather was now colder, the tem- 
perature being 45 degrees below zero. 
On January 16, the trip from Sirmilling bay to the Eskimo village 
Nunatuk was made. January 17 was spent exploring Ekaluardjuak 
fiord, an arm of Issortukdjuak fiord. The Eskimo state that large, isolated 
ice-fields occur in the valleys north and east of Ekaluardjuak fiord. 
On January 18, Bon Accord harbour was reached. On the way, 
seals were searched for in the large, open tide-races at the entrance to 
Issortukdjuak fiord, but none was found. A flock of eiders and six guille- 
mots were seen in the water. At one time walrus were common on islands 
near Bon Accord, but none has been seen for many years. 
The journey was continued on January 19 and the trading outpost 
on Kangertlukjuak bay, Nettilling fiord, was reached the following day. 
The outpost was left on January 22 and Pangnirtung post was reached 
January 25. At Bon Accord harbour, on the way back, a number of seals 
were secured by trade, as dog food is scarce at Pangnirtung during the 
winter months. 
After returning to Pangnirtung fiord, an Eskimo was sent to hunt for 
seals at the nearest open water west of Kekerten islands. He returned 
in several days with a load of seal meat. On February 6 in company with 
two Eskimo and two dog teams, the post was left on a trip across Penny 
peninsula to the main east coast of Baffin island. The route follows the 
valley leading from the head of Pangnirtung fiord and is so difficult that 
it is usual to take, in advance, dog food to a point a day’s journey or more 
inland. Camp, a snow house, was built late in the afternoon at a point 
several miles up the valley from the head of the fiord. The valley at 
this point is narrow and is flanked by high, rugged mountains. Near the 
camp site, four glaciers were visible in as many tributary valleys. Pang- 
nirtung river flows along the main valley and w r here the day’s journey 
ended had cut its channel in a morainic deposit 150 feet high and stretching 
across the valley. 
On February 7, the steep rise of about 100 feet, to the top of the 
moraine, was overcome by hitching both dog teams to each sled in turn. 
Beyond the rise, the valley for some distance is flat and over it the river, 
judging by the ice, appears to flow in numerous, shallow branches which 
