268 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. March 



usually low tide, evidently caused by the pressure 

 exerted by the gale forcing the water, although covered 

 with ice; towards the north-east. The ice on the star- 

 board quarter is unable to fise again, consequently with 

 the return of the flood the water has overrun it and 

 risen two feet above the level of the floe. 



' To-day I published the programme of the spring 

 sledging parties. It is eminently satisfactory to find 

 how every officer and man, after a long and severe 

 experience during the autumn of what Arctic sledging 

 really is, has been anxiously pushing his claims for 

 employment with the advanced parties ; those bound 

 north over the ice, a journey thoroughly well known 

 to entail the most trying and tedious work, being 

 esteemed the most favoured. 



6 lhth. — This evening I was astonished at the return 

 of Mr. Egerton's party, and much distressed to learn 

 that it was occasioned by the severe illness of Petersen. 

 He was taken ill on the second march with cramp, and 

 afterwards, being unable to retain any food whatever, 

 nothing could keep him warm, and he became badly 

 frost-bitten. By depriving themselves of their own 

 warm clothing and at great personal risk the two 

 officers, his only companions, succeeded in restoring 

 circulation. The following day, Petersen being no 

 better, they wisely determined to return with him to 

 the ship. But the gale of the 14th rendering it impos- 

 sible to travel and the tent being very cold — tempera- 

 ture minus 24° — they burrowed out a hole in a snow- 

 bank, and with the aid of a spirit lamp raised the 

 temperature inside it to 7°. With a noble disregard of 

 themselves they succeeded in retaining some slight heat 

 in the man's body by alternately lying one at a time 



