346 NEAREST THE POLE 



to ice-craft, had been hopelessly bewildered and wan- 

 dered apparently, for at least a day, without finding 

 the trail. After their passage other changes had taken 

 place, and, as a result, I set a compass course for the 

 land, and began making a new road. In the next 

 march we picked up our old trail again. 



Early in the morning of the 2 2d, we reached the 

 second igloo out from Cape Hecla, and camped in a 

 driving snowstorm. At this igloo we were storm- 

 bound during the 27th and 28th, getting away on the 

 29th in the densest fog, and bent on butting our way 

 in a " bee " line compass course, for the land. Flounder- 

 ing through the deep snow and ice, saved fom un- 

 pleasant falls only by the forewarning of the dogs, we 

 reached Crozier Island after a long and weary march. 

 The band of young ice along the shore had disappeared, 

 crushed up into confused ridges and mounds of irreg- 

 ular blocks. 



The floe at the island camp had split in two, the 

 crack passing through our igloo, the halves of which 

 stared at each other across the chasm. This march 

 finished two of my dogs, and three or four more were 

 apparently on their last legs. We did not know how 

 tired we were until we reached the island. The warm 

 foggy weather and the last march together dropped our 

 physical barometer several degrees. 



As we now had light sledges, I risked the short cut 

 across the base of Feilden Peninsula and camped that 

 night under the lee of View Point. Four more marches 

 carried us to Conger, where we remained three days, 

 drying clothing and repairing sledges, and giving the 

 dogs a much-needed rest. Leaving Conger on the 6th 



