264 



CHAPTER XI. 



Inconvenient elevation. Cape Disraeli. Imbedded Whale. Depar- 

 ture of Mr. Allard. Determination of speed. Strait discovered. 

 Progress arrested by the Pack. Snow Crystals. Discover open 

 water. Overland March. Progress barred. Fossil Station. Deep 

 Soundings. Pack Ice. A hollow Cairn. Cape Disappointment. 

 Wellington Channel. Apparent Graves. Pitch Mount. Bears. 



THESE arrangements complete, at six P.M. (temp. 5) we 

 moved forward, intending, as the weather proved hazy, 

 to adhere to the tidal or land-floe crack, which would 

 securely, although circuitously, lead its to our next po- 

 sition ; but we were again most deceitfully led into an- 

 other ascent, until we suddenly discovered, through the 

 momentary cessation of drift, that we had upon this 

 occasion rather a steepish declivity ahead, and that we 

 had arrived at an elevation of at least eighty feet above 

 the level ; and yet our men at the drag-belts had not dis- 

 covered the increased labour due to the ascent ! Until 

 we fairly ascertained our position further progress might 

 entail unnecessary labour, as, from the distance traversed, 

 we computed that we could not be two hours' march 

 from our next important station ; we therefore encamped, 

 and shortly after, on the cessation of snow, noticed, about 



