1876 FIRST APPEARANCE OF SCURVY. 315 



' We must now expect a long continuance of foggy- 

 weather. When the tops of the snow-clad hills blend 

 with the misty sky without any line of demarcation, 

 and nothing but ice in sight, it is anything but in- 

 spiriting to weary travellers. Few can realize what 

 the northern party are undergoing struggling along 

 their monotonous road of rugged ice, unable to see 

 far enough ahead to choose the most level route 

 through the hummocks. ' 



This fog was experienced by each of the travellers. 

 Captain Markham remarks : — 



' After advancing for about half-a-mile, which dis- 

 tance took us nearly four hours to accomplish, we 

 arrived at such a confused heap of hummocks that in 

 the present thick state of the weather rendered a farther 

 advance impossible ; we were therefore compelled to 

 halt and pitch the tents.' .... 



' 7th. — Dr. Colan is becoming very anxious about 

 poor Petersen, who bears his trials cheerfully and 

 patiently, but is very weak. 



'Lieutenant Giffard started with a sledge crew, 

 dragging 173 lbs. a man, to complete the depots 

 of provisions for Lieutenant Aldrich's return. He also 

 took some provisions to Cape Joseph Henry for Com- 

 mander Markham, and one of Berthon's collapsable 

 boats. 



'Along the borders of the old lake-bottoms the 

 mud, which was frozen as hard as any rock during the 

 winter, is now pulverized ; where a month ago it was 

 difficult to dig out stones and shells with a metal 

 instrument, a stick or the finger can now easily be 

 forced an inch deep into the softened earth ; this 



