FROM " BIG LEAD " TO 87° 6' N. LAT. 125 



with his party. "Too thick to travel," and all more 

 or less worried at being so far away, the hard travel- 

 ling, etc. I set my men building an igloo, and hoped 

 the sun would clear away the thick weather as it had 

 the day before, and give a chance to start soon. 

 While building my igloo a crack opened with a loud 

 noise nearly all round our place, greatly disturb- 

 ing Sipsu's sensitive nerves. Later thick snow came 

 on with the increasing wind. Through carelessness 

 I frosted my entire left cheek during the march and 

 this I anticipated would cause me some annoyance as 

 it was in my heavy beard. After the igloo was built 

 my men overhauled and repaired their sledges thor- 

 oughly. All night the wind and snow continued from 

 the west, and during the night (probably with the 

 turn of the tide) the cracks closed up with a good 

 deal of noise, ending with two severe btunps as oiir 

 floe came to a bearing all around. 



In the morning another movement began, Henson's 

 igloo which was a little nearer the rafter than mine, 

 was shattered, and his men built another in the centre 

 of the floe and moved there. The spring tides of the 

 April full moon were running now, and with the wind 

 would probably open the "Hudson River" again. 

 Marvin, however, and I hoped Clark, should be well 

 over by this time with their supplies, and out on the 

 road. I hoped this storm would clear the condensa- 

 tion out of the air, and give us another spell of 

 fine weather in which we might accomplish some- 

 thing. 



The ten days' delay of Henson's party, and seven 

 of mine, in fine weather, had been a terrible set-back. 



