ABRUZZl THE ROYAL ITALIAN EXPLORER 423 



of the ship, was included in the first detachment at his earnest 

 request. 



The second start was made on Sunday, March nth, and this 

 time there was no turning back. On March 28th, Abruzzi went, 

 with the watch party, to Cape Fligely, and constructed a shelter 

 in which they could remain in readiness to greet the first detach- 

 ment on its return, the date of which was expected to be April 4th. 

 On that date, and for some days before, an anxious watch was kept 

 from the lookout point towards the north, but no signs were seen 

 of the returning explorers. For a day or so this did not cause any 

 grave anxiety, as it was quite possible that there might be a brief 

 delay, but as the days went by without a sign, and the days grew 

 into weeks, there was serious uneasiness at the continued non- 

 appearance of the men. 



The time arrived when the second detachment was due, and 

 still the watchers saw no signs of the returning men. Uneasiness 

 gave place to grave anxiety, and the few who remained at the 

 camp were beginning to wonder whether they would be obliged to 

 return home alone, with only a tale of loss and disaster to bear to 

 their country, when a man of the second party reached the camp 

 in a state of great exhaustion. His story was that his detachment, 

 the second, had parted with the third on March 3ist, and had been 

 successful on the return journey up to April I5th, when an open 

 channel in the ice near the island had stopped their march. For 

 days they had sought a way round it, but, failing, the leader had 

 despatched the man in the kayak to reach the watch station, and 

 summon the assistance of a boat party, to convey the remainder 

 over the channel. The man had attempted to land at a point where 

 the ice was some fifteen feet high, but while he was testing it to 

 see if he could clamber up, the kayak slipped away from him and 

 left him clinging, with no hope of escape if he should slip into the 

 water below. 



He was one of the Alpine guides, and with his ice-axe he 



