114 NEAREST THE POLE 



complete the entire circle, and at noon I fancy there 

 is a slight sensation of warmth in his rays. 



To-day has been quite hazy or smoky like the days 

 immediately after we left the land which I do not like, 

 as this means cracks or leads in the ice. But th© 

 weather we are having is just the thing, cold and calm, 

 to cement the ice firmer and firmer, and quickly ren- 

 der any new cracks or leads passable. I hope it may 

 continue so till we get back to the land; the colder 

 and the calmer the better. I want no wind or mild 

 weather until we are back on board ship. 



March 26th. — A glorious day, and a splendid march, 

 over the finest going and then — bang up against it, 

 as I have been fearing all along. I have been dream- 

 ing too much these last few days, for which there could 

 be of course, but one result, a black eye to my hopes 

 of speedy success. 



Early in the morning heard the welcome sound of 

 grinding ice and turning out found the lead, beside which 

 we had camped, had narrowed enough to eliminate the 

 unsafe ice. We were soon packed and over, following 

 the Captain's new trail, which gradually swung west- 

 ward until it cut Henson's trail beyond his igloo. (The 

 thermometer had registered -60° F. during the night, 

 and stood at -52° F. when I took it up.) 



After striking Henson's trail we kept on over large 

 old floes of hard surface interrupted by not partic- 

 ularly difficult pressure ridges, and after a good long 

 march reached Henson's igloo. 



His record said that he was here during the storm 

 of the 2 2d and had left on the 23d. A postscript 



