LIEUTENANT DE LONG'S DIARY. 383 



south and on the edge of the bluff. The heavy dragging 

 across the country of a sick man on a sled made me incline 

 to the hut on the shore, since', as the distance was about the 

 same, we could get over the ice in one-third of the time. 

 Nindermann, who climbed the bluff, saw that the object 

 inland was a hut ; was not so confident of the one on the 

 shore. Alexai, however, was quite positive, and not seeing 

 very well myself, I unfortunately took his eyes as best and 

 ordered an advance along the river to the southward. 



Away we went, Nindermann and Alexai leading and had 

 progressed about a mile when, plash, in I went through the 

 ice up to my shoulders before my knapsack brought me up. 

 While I was crawling out, in went (Jortz to his neck about 

 fifty yards behind me; and behind him, in went Mr. Collins 

 to his waist. Here was a time. The moment \ve came out of 

 the water we were one sheet of ice, and danger of frost-bite was 

 imminent. Along we hobbled, however, until we reached, at 

 0.45, about the point on which the hut was seen. Here Nin- 

 dermann climbed the bin IT. followed by the doctor. At first 

 the cry was, " All right ; come ahead" ; but no sooner were 

 we well up, than Nindermann shouted, " There is no hut 

 here." 



To my dismay and alarm nothing but a large mound of 

 earth \y,as to be seen, which, from its regular shape and sin- 

 gular position, would seem to have been built artificially for 

 a beacon. So sure was Nindermann that it was a hut that 

 he went all round it looking for a door, and then climbed on 

 top to look for a hole in the roof. But of no avail. It was 

 nothing but a mound of earth. Sick at heart, I ordered a 

 camp to be made in a hole in the bluff face, and soon before 

 a roaring fire we were drying and burning our clothes, while 

 the cold wind ate into our backs. 



And now for supper nothing remained but the dog. I 

 therefore ordered him killed and dressed by Iverson, and 

 soon after a stew was made of such parts as could not be 

 carried, of which everybody except the doctor and myself 

 eagerly partook. To us two it was a nauseating mess, and 



23 



