13 
this point when passed in January. It was necessary here to make a 
detour over a rocky ridge, using more than forty dogs and all available 
hands on the boat, A couple of miles beyond, water underlay the snow 
and this condition prevailed for the remainder of the day. The water 
and slush over wide areas were fully a foot deep, lying on top of the ice, 
and covered by a thin layer of dry, crusted snow. So long as this crust 
is strong enough to support loaded sledges, no difficulty is experienced. 
If not, the sledges break through, causing great delay and exertion. In 
the present instance the crust was strong enough to support the ordinary 
sledges, but the boat kept breaking through. In one instance it was two 
hours before the boat and sledge could be extricated from the slush and 
started off again on sound crust. 
April 25 was thickly overcast, and there was a fresh southeast wind. 
The temperature was 16 degrees above zero. Progress was good during 
the forenoon, as the snow was hard and smooth, and there was no indication 
of underlying water. Shortly after noon the entrance to Kangertlukjuak 
bay was reached. Leaving the boat behind, and travelling light, the 
party headed for the Hudson’s Bay Company’s outpost a number of miles 
up the bay. A thick snowstorm arising, a forced camp was made and 
the post was not reached until late the following day. 
On April 27, the Eskimo were sent to hunt seals for dog food at the 
nearest tide-hole 18 miles to the west. The stores previously forwarded 
to the post were taken to, and cached at, the tide-hole. The hunters 
returned to the post in the evening. On April 28 the journey was resumed, 
the snow having been fairly well packed by the wind. The boat, with 
the supplies left with it on April 25, was reached early in the afternoon 
and by evening the whole outfit was brought to the cache at the tide-hole. 
Canvas tents were pitched that evening for the first time. 
The morning of April 28 was fair and calm, the temperature 28 degrees 
above zero. At an early hour snow began to fall and continued to do so 
the rest of the day. Travelling was further slowed down by the presence 
of water beneath the crust of snow. At four o’clock in the afternoon, 
after travelling only about 6 miles, a tide-hole spanned a narrows between 
two rocky shoulders. The boat was launched at the slack of the tide and 
the freight ferried across the opening. The tents were pitched and some 
of the men returned for the remainder of the freight left at the last camp 
spot. 
April 30 was cloudless. Apart from trouble with deep snow early in 
the forenoon, satisfactory progress was made. This part of the fiord 
holds many islands and in appearance resembles a lake rather than an 
arm of the sea. Camp was made at the tide-hole in the narrows leading 
to Kassigidjen, one of the routes to the upper part of Nettilling fiord. 
Another route lies a short distance west over a low pass and through 
Emalteuil lake. These routes are followed to avoid the great tide-hole, 
Sarbukdjuak. 
May 1 was the mildest, most spring-like day of the year. Camp was 
not moved as some of the men had to return to the last camping spot to 
freight forward the remainder of the outfit. 
Evidence of wild-life had been very scarce all along the way. Occasional 
trails of caribou were seen after passing Nauyarping, and wolf and fox 
trails somewhat increased, but were never common. Hare trails were 
nearly absent. Of bird-life tw T o or three snow buntings had been seen and 
61460—2 
