CHAPTER VI 



FROM THE "big LEAD " TO 87° 6' N. LAT. 



THE night of April 2d was fine until early morning 

 when it clouded up, and when we got under 

 way it was dark and threatening, with a biting 

 wind right from the direction of the Pole, swinging 

 later to the west. The ice was shrouded in the shadow- 

 less light peculiar to these conditions, making it almost 

 impossible to see Henson's trail. I found that our 

 camp floe was an island ; a broad lane of young ice 

 separating it from the other ice. After passing two 

 or three more narrow lanes of young ice, we got beyond 

 the most pronounced traces of the recent disturbance, 

 and travelled over heavy old ice, with snow somewhat 

 deeper and softer than south of the "Big Lead." 

 There was no season's ice and recent pressure ridges 

 were infrequent. We reached Henson's igloo where 

 his record told what a hard march they had and 

 how tired they were, etc., etc. The sun, now con- 

 tinuously above the horizon, shone for a bit as we 

 camped. 



Thick and blowing from the north all night, and the 

 same when we got under way the 4th. The diffused 

 light made it very difficult to follow the nearly wind- 

 obliterated trail. Frequent snow squalls from the 

 north and west added annoyance. At noon it began to 



lighten and when we reached Henson's igloo, the wind 



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