CHAPTER XIII. 



THE MARCH OVER THE FROZEN OCEAN". 



26 June— 14 July, 1881. 



Five Ice Bridges in One Day. — The Heat of the Sun. — Discourag- 

 ing Progress. — The Reticence of the Captain. — Cheerfulness of 

 the Men. — Beautiful Cloud Formations. — Vexatious Openings. — 

 Paleocrystic Sea. — Daily Fog. — Wild Geese. — The Water. — 

 Wet Beds. — Uncomfortable Dinners. — Hard Ice. — The Glorious 

 Fourth. — Change in Character of Ice. — A Gale. — Half a Mile 

 in Six Hours. — The Repeated Journeys. — Impossibility of Get- 

 ting Position. — Needle Ice. — Cry of Land. — A Lost Bear. — 

 Land and Water. — The Hard Work of the March. — Ferrying. — 

 No Thoroughfare. — Condition of the Dogs. — Damage to Walk- 

 ing Gear. — Nearer Sight of Island. — Seal. — Mr. Dunbar goes 

 to look for the Land. 



June 26th, Sunday. — Sat down to dinner at 12.15 

 A. m., and turned to at 1.15 A. m. Mr. Dunbar now 

 returned, and I sent him to get his dinner, while with 

 the bridge makers and two dog sleds I pushed ahead. 

 Melville accidentally fell into the water and got wet to 

 his waist, and during the morning's work the Walrus 

 (No. 1 sled) fell in, sticking her nose well under the 

 ice. However, she was dragged out. Though the road 

 generally was better than yesterday, no less than five 

 bridges had to be made, and consequently, when at 

 6.30 A. m. I halted and pitched camp, we had made 

 good only one half mile south southwest. Before us, 

 however, we seem to have a good road from south to 

 southwest. 



39 



