136 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. August 



lying in the channel indicates open water, but prevents 

 us seeing what the ice is doing. 



' Noon. The wind is going down, and the clouds 

 clearing away off Cape Lupton ; a sure sign of fine 

 weather. 



' Went up the hill, as the mist cleared away, to 

 inspect the ice. A great change has taken place ; the 

 old ice of the basin has gone south apparently, and is 

 replaced by large and heavy floes from the north ; 

 they are still travelling at a great rate in consequence 

 of the wind. 



' It is evident that we shall have a large amount 

 of boat work. I wish we could take the twenty-foot 

 ice-boat, but she is too heavy. We must wait until it 

 is quite calm, as the fifteen-foot ice-boat when loaded 

 is only three inches out of the water. 



' 9 p.m. It is now quite calm as far as we can see. 

 Closed the house ; secured everything, and started at 

 10 p.m. in the fifteen-foot ice-boat, with the sledge 

 towing astern. We are so deep and the sledge so 

 heavy, that we are going very slow ; pulled nearly to 

 Cape Lupton, and then took the ice, shaping course 

 for St. Patrick's Bay. After two hours' work entered 

 a large space of water ; it was a time of great anxiety 

 to me, as we could barely keep the water out of 

 the boat — it was three miles broad. Disembarked 

 on the opposite side, placed the boat on the sledge, 

 and started across the floe. During the rest of the 

 march we proceeded in a similar manner ; each time 

 we embarked or disembarked it was necessary to un- 

 load the boat, either to launch her or haul her up. 



* Though we seem to have been drifted south, we 

 have made very good progress, and when we camped 



