290 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. March 



' 23rd. — We all suffered considerably from cramps 

 in the legs last night, more so than usual. 



1 By ten o'clock we were under weigh. For the 



first mile and a half we kept to the land, travelling 



on the snow-slopes inside the hummocks ; but this 



becoming steeper, we tried the floes again. The 



travelling was very rough, and we had continually to 



assist the dogs and sledge over the hummocks, but 



occasionally we got a smooth piece without any water. 



The point at the southern extremity of Wrangel Bay 



gave us great trouble to round ; we tried the land, but 



found it perfectly impassable, even on foot ; the cliffs 



were very steep, coming down to the water level at an 



angle of, I should say, 35°; the hummocks were 



forced well up on the land, showing considerable 



pressure has taken place here. We lowered the sledge 



on to the floe, a height of twenty-five feet, after 



clearing a way with pickaxes. There being too much 



water on the crack, which still continued outside the 



hummocks, we struck out more from the land, and 



came to one or two very good floes, and, by mounting 



hummocks continually, were able to pick a very fair 



road. 



k At 6.45 encamped on the floe. Each night we 

 picketed the dogs, and found it acted very well, none 

 of them breaking adrift except " Flo," who managed 

 to get out of her harness, and any other lashings we 

 put round her, every night, but she always lay down 

 quietly and gave us no trouble. Though the tempera- 

 ture was not very low, we all felt very cold, and could 

 not get warm, do what we would ; the tips of my 

 fingers, which were frostbitten during my last trip 



