300 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. IX. 



derably improved ; the floes large and tolerably 

 level, and some good lanes of water occurring, it 

 was calculated they had made between ten and 

 eleven miles, and traversed a distance of about 

 seventeen, after more than twelve hours' actual 

 travelling, by which the people were extremely 

 fatigued ; " but while the work," says Parry, 

 " seemed to be repaid by anything like progress, 

 the men laboured with great cheerfulness to the 

 utmost of their strength." It may readily be ima- 

 gined that the improvement of the ice, and with, 

 it the increased progress, gave much satisfaction ; 

 though the encouraging prospect was but of short 

 duration. 



" In proportion then to the hopes we had begun to enter- 

 tain, was our disappointment in finding at noon that we were 

 in latitude 82° 43' 5", or not quite four miles to the north- 

 ward of yesterday's observation, instead of the ten or eleven 

 which we had travelled ! However, we determined to con- 

 tinue to the last our utmost exertions, though we could 

 never once encourage the men by assuring them of our 

 making good progress ; and setting out at seven in the 

 evening, soon found that our hope of having permanently 

 reached better ice was not to be realized, for the floe on 

 which we slept was so full of hummocks, that it occupied us 

 just six hours to cross it, the distance in a straight line not 

 exceeding two miles and a half." — pp. 98, 99. 



Such a result was disheartening enough to the 

 officers, who knew to what little effect the struggles 

 were made, of which, however, the men appeared to 



