134 GAIN THE LAND ICE. \0ctober, 



incomprehensible that the advocates for crossing yester- 

 day were now adverse ! But that mattered not ; I felt 

 quite assured of the practicability, if I could cross the 

 band of smooth ice intervening between us and the pack, 

 but that would not bear the weight even of one man ! 



The order " Down tents !" was the first indication of 

 my resolve. The ice was broken, and a channel for the 

 'Eider Duck' cut by spades; it closed, was cut again, 

 and eventually, not without much trouble, all our ef- 

 fects were ferried by our valuable oomiak to the solid 

 ice. The 'Eider Duck' underwent immediate transfor- 

 mation, worthy of any pantomime, her various parts re- 

 suming their duties in the sledge equipment. Moving 

 forward in right earnest towards the main, we reached 

 it, and lunched on the "laud-floe" at noon. Every one 

 has his peculiar feelings : we had crossed many cracks, 

 escaped many serious difficulties, solely by dint of that 

 activity which results from the innate fear of losing all. 

 We thus quitted " Hungry Island," a name which I 

 do not think even Penny will dispute. 



I must believe that every individual had his own ear- 

 nest feelings as each touched the safe shore, or land-ice. 

 For myself, I felt that the meal was more solemn than 

 usual. Such sensations are better left uudescribed, for 

 neither the feelings nor the pen can execute their duty. 



Our actual difficulties were yet to be encountered, but 

 we knew them not. Several wettings were experienced, 

 and at nightfall, on reaching our most critical position, 

 we had not found safe landing for the sledges, which 

 still lagged behind. Fortunately I was in advance with 

 my dog-sledge, and, trusting to the instinct of the ani- 



