CHAPTER VII 



FROM 87° 6' TO THE GREENLAND COAST 



FROM the time we left Storm Camp on the upward 

 march the wind had blown with greater or less 

 force, but without interruption, from a little south of 

 true west. Now as we retraced our steps it blew quarter- 

 ing in our faces, and accompanied by a fine drift of snow, 

 cut like red-hot needles. We had already made a 

 good day's march. Now we had to duplicate it with- 

 out rest or food. When at last we stumbled into camp 

 I was nearly blind from the effects of the cutting snow 

 and wind, and completely done up with the long 

 continued exertion The interest and excitement of 

 the advance were gone, the reaction had come, and 

 my feet dragged Uke lead. As a matter of fact the 

 return journey, after the eagerness and excitement 

 of pushing ahead is over, is always the hardest part 

 of the work. Of the fourteen cracks and narrow leads 

 passed in this last forced march, all but three had 

 changed pronouncedly in the few hours elapsing be- 

 tween our outward and return march, and two or 

 three of them had moved to such an extent that we 

 had some difficulty in picking up our trail on the 

 southern side of them. Once inside the igloo and the 

 oil stove started to make our tea, I rolled on the sleep- 

 ing platform in agony, with my burning eyes, and let 

 Ahngmalokto make the tea. For an hour or more 



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