LEAVING THE SHIP BEHIND. 607 



lower meridian altitude. More anxious than ever, I 

 determined to sit up until noon and get the upper 

 meridian altitude before committing myself to plans 

 for the future. 



This day's work has not been as satisfactory as yes- 

 terday's. We have advanced about three quarters of 

 a mile. Ice openings bothered us, and it was not until 

 eight A. M. that we had our supper at camp. 



The weather was calm and foggy until the beginning 

 of the day, and then it cleared rapidly away as the 

 temperature fell to 22°, and a light west air sprung up. 

 By eight a. m. the temperature was 28°, and the west 

 air continued freshening to a light breeze. The sky 

 was one half covered with cirro-cumulus clouds moving 

 east. 



We camped on an old piece of ice, and here w r e were 

 soon brought to a stand. The country to the south- 

 ward of us is terribly wild and broken. Mr. Dunbar, 

 whom I sent ahead to reconnoitre, reports that it is 

 such a jam and so full of holes that he could not crawl 

 over it. However, Nil desperandum. Got soundings 

 in twenty-five fathoms. 



Chipp has become alarmingly weak. After walking 

 one third of a mile to the halting place for dinner, he 

 was completely exhausted, and though he remained on 

 or in his bag until six A. m. (seven hours after), he was 

 unable at first to get on his feet when we tried to take 

 the hospital on to camp. Being assisted to stand he 

 was clearly unfit to walk, and to his great mortifica- 

 tion was compelled to accede to our request to be car- 

 ried on in a dog sled. How are we to get him through ? 



At noon I obtained a meridian altitude, and this gave 

 me latitude 77° 42', and of this at least there is no 

 doubt. My Sumner of this morning was accurate, and 



