100 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. August 



Amid Markham's repeated calls to hasten, he descended 

 the hill, and scrambled over the ice with his load, even- 

 tually getting the specimens on board. By the time they 

 had reached the beach the fickle ice had closed in again, 

 and gave them much trouble to haul the boat between, 

 and sometimes over, the newly forming hummocks. 



On observing the ice myself I considered its move- 

 ment so very uncertain as it drifted south that I 

 decided to wait for high-water before starting, hoping 

 that the ebb tidal current would then open up a 

 decidedly clear water-channel. In this I was not disap- 

 pointed, for on the 20th at 1.15 a.m., about an hour 

 before high- water, I was able to proceed slowly north- 

 wards threading our way through the pack. On 

 nearing Cape Norton Shaw the ice opened out from 

 the shore as quickly as it had closed in the previous 

 evening and left several channels for our selection ; 

 a very decided and agreeable change in the navigation 

 to what we had experienced since entering the ice oft 

 Victoria Head, now left about sixty miles behind. 



As we passed the large opening forming Scoresby 

 Bay, the distant shore at the bottom of the bay was so 

 shrouded in mist that we were unable to ascertain 

 with certainty the size of the inlet ; it contained much 

 ice with a large water-pool along its northern shore. 



The pack being well open ahead, I left the crow's 

 nest for a short time, pointing out to the ice-quarter- 

 master who took my place a perfectly clear and opening 

 channel. On returning within a quarter of an hour, 

 I found the channel which we had entered not only 

 closing fast but our line of retreat cut off, although 

 on either side other channels were opening. How- 



