A SKATING JOURNEY. 355 



named island, and to penetrate further in the direction of 

 Jordan Hill. 



On the 27th of October (the day of our leaving the 

 ship) we had daily but four hours' sun; and in a few 

 days this must entirely disappear for three long months. 

 We took a southerly direction, traversing half the way 

 on skates, until we reached Cape Wynn, whose dark rocky 

 face we could distinguish in the darkest Arctic night. 

 The south wind now blew stronger ; and as we could not 

 get at our warmer clothing for the moment, we suffered 

 so much from the moderate cold of 0° Fahr., that, in the 

 beginning of the journey, some of us were in great danger 

 of being frozen to death. A group of dolerite pillars on 

 the shore southward from Flache Bay, behind which we 

 sheltered ourselves from the icy wind after a run of 

 thirteen nautical miles, formed an acceptable place of re- 

 fuge. We crouched in the rifts of the rocks for protection, 

 and then pitched our tent, — no easy matter, owing to the 

 difficulty of obtaining the stones with which to make it 

 firm. At four p.m. we lay down to rest, in order to begin 

 the journey earlier the next day, and by forced marches 

 make up for this day's loss. Towards morning the wind 

 dropped, the icy influence of which could be disagreeably 

 felt through the tent. 



On the 28th of October, at three a.m., favoured by 

 moonlight and calm, we continued our journey (5° Fahr.). 

 After two hours we came upon an ever-thickening com- 

 plication of small icebergs and hummocks, which forced 

 us to make several detours ; and at last left us but with 

 one opening to the east, far from our projected goal. 



Meanwhile, daylight appeared, and climbing an ice- 

 berg we surveyed the east. Presently we heard Oopeland 



A a 2 



