308 THENORTHPOLE 



A double march brought us to Camp Abruzzi, 86° 

 38', named in honor of the farthest north of the Duke 

 of the Abruzzi. The trail was faulted in several places, 

 but we picked it up each time without much difficulty. 

 The following day was a bitterly disagreeable one. On 

 this march we had in our faces a fresh southwest wind 

 that, ever and again, spat snow that stung like needles 

 and searched every opening in our clothing. But we 

 were so delighted that we were across the young ice 

 that these things seemed like trifles. The end of 

 this march was at "Camp Nansen," named in honor of 

 Nansen's "Farthest North." 



This return journey was apparently destined to be 

 full of contrasts, for the next day was one of brilliant 

 sunlight and perfect calm. Despite the good weather 

 the dogs seemed almost lifeless. It was impossible to 

 get them to move faster than a walk, light though the 

 loads were. Henson and the Eskimos also appeared 

 to be a bit stale, so that it seemed wise to make a 

 single march here instead of the usual double march. 



After a good sleep we started to put in another 

 double march and then we began to feel the effects of 

 the wind. Even before we broke camp the ice began 

 to crack and groan all about the igloo. Close by the 

 camp a lead opened as we set out, and in order to 

 get across it we were obliged to use an ice-cake ferry. 



Between there and the next camp, at 85° 48', we 

 found three igloos where Marvin and Bartlett had 

 been delayed by wide leads, now frozen over. My 

 Eskimos identified these igloos by recognizing in their 

 construction the handiwork of men in the parties 

 of Bartlett and Marvin. The Eskimos can nearly 



