i84 NEAREST THE POLE 



We slept almost continually while here and so made 

 up for lost time. To me it was particularly acceptable. 

 Since my return to the ship, I slept very irregularly 

 and not a great deal, owing to the change from snow- 

 house and tent, to the ship; and since starting on this 

 trip, what with getting things arranged at Cape Hecla 

 and Point Moss, and then killing the musk-oxen, and 

 the Eskimos running in and out all the time, eating, 

 and drying their clothing, I had slept very little. 



Here with their stomachs full, and no chance to 

 putter with their clothes, they have stayed in the tent 

 and slept. The wind and snow have also made the 

 temperature of the tent low enough for comfortable 

 sleeping. 



My two men came back from Columbia at noon, 

 the dogs were fed all they could eat, we ourselves had 

 a generous feed of musk-ox and tea, then turned in, 

 the indications being that the dirty weather was nearly 

 at an end, and that by night we should have it fine 

 again. 



At 7 p. M. I woke to find it snowing and blowing 

 again. 



I made coffee and we hitched up and came on to 

 Ward Hunt Island in a driving northerly snowstorm, 

 through some six inches of soft snow on top of the old 

 snow and constantly increasing in depth. 



Owing to my disinclination to exert myself in going 

 ahead on snowshoes to set the course, it was impos- 

 sible to drive the dogs straight, and we came outside 

 the island instead of inside. 



Soon after camping it began to clear, and during 

 the day while we slept, the sun shone bright and warm 



