274 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. March 



strata in the hollows or where an obstruction is en- 

 Countered, forming snow-banks ; the windward side of 

 these drifts is constantly being removed by the wind, 

 while on the lee side the snow is depositing. The bank, 

 therefore, is always changing its position, moving on- 

 wards with the wind, its decaying edge forming a steep 

 incline, the other a long slope. With the increasing 

 heat of the sun the snow is evaporating very fast, par- 

 ticularly that on the southern sides of exposed boulders. 

 High clouds coming from the southward this afternoon 

 are a new feature, and indicate that the atmosphere 

 is again becoming moist. We may accordingly soon 

 expect a decided snow-fall, a phenomenon we have 

 very seldom experienced during the winter. 



' 2Uh. — To-day Markham's crews, with their boats 

 lashed on sledges, went out on to the pack for exercise. 

 After much labour with the pickaxes they were enabled 

 to advance one mile and a half in the same number 

 of hours, but that was with the boats alone. If they 

 journey at the rate of three miles a day they will do 

 well ; their worst enemy will be the misty weather. 

 We hope that as they advance north the floes will 

 become larger, and hedged with narrower lines of 

 hummocks than those in our neighbourhood. 



' The drifted snow which lies upon the land just 

 above the sea-level is hard, and will form a fair road 

 for travelling on ; but we can hope for no level ice- 

 floes like those met with by former expeditions. 



' Yesterday, when walking with Feilden and May, 

 we endeavoured to reach Mount Pullen, only seven 

 miles distant from the ship in a direct line. After 

 three hours' hard walking, and when only one mile 



