316 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. May 



must be entirely due to evaporation. The hoar-frost 

 collected on the rigging three days ago has disappeared 

 again, the hair-hygrometer registering ten degrees' 

 difference of tension. 



< 9^. — May and Egerton returned from the Green- 

 land coast ; this will be the last trip across the north 

 end of the channel this season. The same road having 

 now been travelled over by so many sledges, each 

 party helping to improve it, it is in fair order and 

 enables a rapid journey to be made. Egerton had met 

 Dr. Coppinger, returning from Beaumont's advanced 

 party, at the Eepulse Harbour depot, just in time to 

 stop him crossing the channel to the " Alert." 



' Dr. Coppinger reports that Beaumont's sledges have 

 experienced even greater difficulties and worse travel- 

 ling than we expected. From their place of crossing 

 the Straits, they found that the coast-line for nearly 

 the entire distance to Cape Stanton, was formed either 

 by very steep snow-slopes or precipitous cliffs, the 

 bases of which receive the direct and unchecked 

 pressure of the northern pack as it drifts from the 

 north-westward and strikes against that part of the 

 coast nearly at right angles. The chaos amongst the 

 floebergs near the shore was something indescribable, 

 and the travelling the worst that could possibly be 

 imagined, seven days being occupied in moving for- 

 ward only twenty miles. 



' It was difficult to say which was the better road — 

 through the wilderness of pressed-up ice or along the 

 steeply inclined snow-slopes, where a roadway had to 

 be cut for the entire distance travelled. The party 

 was, however, persevering with light hearts and deter- 



