COOK'S STORY OF HIS DISCOVERY OF NORTH POLE 39 



overcast sky prevented an accurate determination of our positions. 

 On March 3Oth the horizon was partly cleared and new land was 

 discovered to the westward. Our observations gave our position as 

 latitude 84.47, longitude 86.36. There was urgent need of rapid 

 advance. Our main mission did not permit a detour for the purpose 

 of exploring the coast. Here were seen the last signs of solid earth ; 

 beyond there was wothing stable to be seen. We advanced steadily 

 over the monotony of moving sea-ice and now found ourselves 

 beyond the range of all life neither footprints of bears nor the 

 blow-holes of seals were detected. Even the microscopic creatures 

 of the deep were no longer under us. The maddening influence of 

 the shifting desert of frost became almost unendurable in the daily 

 routine. The surface of the pack offered less and less trouble and 

 the weather improved, but there still remained the life-sapping wind 

 which drove despair to its lowest recess. The extreme cold com- 

 pelled physical action. Thus day after day our weary legs spread 

 over big distances. Incidents and positions were recorded, but ad- 

 venture was promptly forgotten in the next day's efforts. 



"The night of April 7th was made notable by the swinging of 

 the sun at midnight over the northern ice. Sunburns and frost bites 

 now were recorded on the same day, but the double day's glitter 

 infused quite an incentive into one's life of shivers. Our observa- 

 tion on April 6th placed the camp in latitude 86.36, longitude 94.2. 

 In spite of what seemed long marches we had advanced but little 

 over a hundred miles. Much of our work was lost in circuitous 

 twists around troublesome pressure lines and high irregular fields. 

 A very old ice drift, too, was driving eastward with sufficient force 

 to give some anxiety. Although still equal to about fifteen miles 

 daily, the extended marches and the long hours for traveling with 

 which fortune favored us earlier were no longer possible. We were 

 now about 200 miles from the Pole and sledge loads were reduced. 

 One dog after another went into the stomachs of the hungry sur- 

 vivors until the teams were considerably diminished in number, but 



