[14 Peary's first voyage, pages 69 and 70,
says: "On reaching Sir Byam Martin's Island, the nearest to
Melville Island, the latitude of the place of observation was
75 degrees - 09' - 23", and the longitude 103
degrees - 44' - 37"; the dip of the magnetic needle 88
degrees - 25' - 56" west in the longitude of 91
degrees - 48', where the last observations on the shore
had been made, to 165 degrees - 50' - 09", east, at
their present station, so thatwe had," says Peary, "in sailing
over the space included between these two meridians, crossed
immediately northward of the magnetic pole, and had undoubtedly
passed over one of those spots upon the globe where the needle
would have been found to vary 180 degrees, or in other
words, where the North Pole would have pointed to the south."]

We sailed for three days along the shoreline, then came to the
mouth of a fjord or river of immense size. It seemed more like a
great bay, and into this we turned our fishing-craft, the
direction being slightly northeast of south. By the assistance of
a fretful wind that came to our aid about twelve hours out of
every twenty-four, we continued to make our way inland, into what
afterward proved to be a mighty river, and which we learned was
called by the inhabitants Hiddekel.

We continued our journey for ten days thereafter, and found we
had fortunately attained a distance inland where ocean tides no
longer affected the water, which had become fresh.

The discovery came none too soon, for our remaining cask of water