Late in the afternoon of the second day's march we
left Connery River, after crossing, with much difficulty, three rapids
where the ice was piled up from fifteen to twenty feet high. The
Connery was abandoned here on account of its direct westerly bearing
and we moved across land to the Lorillard River, which we reached about
noon of the 4th. This gave us several days good travelling in a
northerly direction, when we again took the land, and moved somewhat to
the eastward in order to avoid the Hazard Hills, which Lieutenant
Schwatka discovered in his preliminary sledge journey. He found that
range exceedingly precipitous, and so devoid of snow upon its summit as
to materially impede our progress were we compelled to force a passage
that way.
We witnessed a most peculiar and interesting spectacle on the 8th, in
what appeared to be a frozen waterfall, about twenty-five feet in
height, where a branch seemed to flow into the Lorillard from the west.
At a distance it looked like a mountain torrent which had been arrested
in its progress by some mighty hand and transformed into stone. Its
ripples of crystals gleamed in the sunlight, and sparkled as if studded
with myriads of gems. After enjoying its varied beauties for some time,
I climbed to the top of the bank to make a closer inspection of it.
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