1870 WESTERN DIVISION PARTS COMPANY. 355 



conflict one with another, the result being what we are 

 now encountering, namely, a great expanse of hum- 

 mocks varying in height from twenty feet to small 

 round nobbly pieces over which we stagger and fall. 

 Between these hummocks the snow-drifts are very deep, 

 and we are continually floundering up to our waists, 

 but the men struggle bravely on. Possibly when we 

 leave the vicinity of Cape Joseph Henry, and get well 

 clear of the land, we may experience better travelling, 

 larger floes and less snow. One thing is pretty certain, 

 we cannot have much worse, and this is a consolation. 

 Encamped amongst the hummocks, after a very hard 

 and weary day's work. The men appear a good deal 

 done up. The road-making was incessant the whole 

 afternoon. Distance marched ten miles ; made good 

 two and-a-quarter. 



' 12th. — An unexpected but most gratifying change 

 of temperature caused us to pass a comparatively com- 

 fortable night ; temperature inside our tent as high as 

 16°, and during supper rose as high as 22°. After 

 breakfast, commenced with half a dozen road-makers 

 cutting a road through the hummocks, leaving the 

 remainder of the party to strike the tents, pack, and 

 bring up the sledges one by one as far as the road was 

 practicable. Being a beautifully bright sunny day, 

 the tent robes and other gear were triced up to the 

 masts and yards to dry. Parr's eyes are improving, 

 and he now works like a slave with pickaxe and shovel, 

 working with and superintending the labours of the 

 road-makers. 



' After lunch emerged from the hummocks on to a 

 small floe, and then through another mass of hummocks, 



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