At nine a. m., all being ready, we got under way. 

 The dingy was taken in tow with Ericksen in charge of 

 .seven dogs. But four jumped from the boat afterwards 

 and did not rejoin us, so that at noon we had only eight 

 dogs remaining of our twelve. 



Proceeded under oars, pulling four at a time in the 

 first cutter. This gave us two watches of pullers, for 

 Lee was sent to the dingy afterward as a steady hand, 

 and after breaking through the new ice got into water, 

 and by 12.30 p.m. had certainly made three miles good 

 on a S. S. W. course. The fog now surrounded us, and 

 we had come to a floe island, the water around which 

 was choked at each side. There seemed nothing left 

 but dragging sleds and boats over, and I meanwhile 

 called a halt for dinner 



We had left behind us two St. Michael's sleds and 

 four McClintock sleds, — no longer of use to us except 

 as firewood, and the dingy had two days' allowance of 

 that, counting her as fuel likewise. These sleds had 

 done good work, but our traveling now was beyond 

 even their capacity. 



