80 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. July 



find any changed into actual ice. There, in digging- 

 down through a drift, we first meet with wet snow, 

 and then ice of a gradually increasing solidity until 

 near the earth it is quite solid. 



4 When the thaw first commenced, the water was 

 observed to run down each snow-filled ravine through 

 an ice conduit which it had formed for itself near the 

 surface of the snow. As the thaw advanced, the floor 

 of the channel became naturally lowered, leaving ice 

 cliffs on either side ; but these were only two or three 

 feet in breadth, and the part most distant from the 

 channel was the least compact ; the rest of the snow 

 on each side filling up the ravine had been little 

 affected by the water. How thick the lower part of 

 the ice-pipe was when first formed is uncertain, but 

 I doubt if it extended down to the ground below it. 



' Our gateway through the floeberg barrier has 

 been enlarged to the widest dimension advisable, and 

 several large charges of powder are ready for a final 

 discharge as soon as the pack gives us an opportunity 

 to start. 



' It is quite certain that we can only escape when a 

 strong south-west wind blows the ice away from the 

 shore. As that will be a foul wind for us in Eobeson 

 Channel, the ship has been made snug aloft, ready for 

 steaming head to wind. No sailing ship could ever 

 get to the southward from this position. 



< 30th. — To-day three young knots were caught on 

 the border of the lake near the ship. It is very strange 

 that we have been unable to find the nests, which 

 could not have been very far away, as the young birds 

 are unable to fly. The old birds are very wild : they 



