66 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



as the night was coming on and the fog getting thicker, so we 

 tied up to a large floe. 



We hung on until 10.30 P.M., when we were again forced to get 

 under way. It looked as if we were to be shut in, but it was too 

 foggy to see much. At any rate our good fortune guided us to 

 a channel which we could follow for a while, and we ran along 

 through darkness and fog, sometimes hitting pieces of ice, 

 sometimes touching the points of the floe we were running 

 alongside of. Strenuous sailing it was, as well for the ship as 

 for the men. 



Saturday, August n. It was about 2 A.M. before our progress 

 was finally stopped, and we could find no leads through the ice 

 ahead of us, although there probably were several. Our old 

 enemy the fog was as heavy to-day as yesterday, and concealed 

 everything from view. All day we have been talking of nothing 

 but our very gloomy prospects, and discussing the situation from 

 all points of view, but, however eagerly we may look for it, 

 there is not a streak of light anywhere in the dark outlook 

 ahead of us. 



Sunday, August 12. The day commenced without any dis- 

 cernible change in the weather. It was blowing hard, the fog 

 was there still, and the ice as far as we could see was close and 

 closing in. We are drifting toward W.N.W., and when the 

 ice goes that way it must at least open a lead under land. 

 We shall have to get away from here. It is now a week since 

 we left Icy Cape, and during that week we have not made more 

 than one hundred miles. 



At ii A.M. the welcome call from deck, " Fog's lifting," 

 brought us all out of the stuffy cabin, and as soon as I saw the 

 way in which the fog disappeared, I made at once for the 

 crow's-nest. About seven miles distant land loomed up, and as 

 far as I could see there was-a fairly open lane of water along the 

 coast. But we could not reach it. There were several lanes 

 leading there, but they were right up in the wind, and the ice 

 moved so fast that while we were looking on one lane closed 

 up and another one opened. We had to give up all hopes of 

 moving for the present, but at least we could see and were thus 

 able to use the first opportunity. The wind was increasing in 

 strength toward night and it blew half a gale. 



What an influence the weather has upon the minds of all 



