THE SLEDGES LOADED AND READY TO START. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE VOYAGE OVER THE PACK ICE. 



The Start Open Lanes Rubble Ice Forced to return Second Start 

 Continued Bad Weather Fail off Cross Island Succeed off Midway 

 Island Thin Ice Lanes Get on Old Ice Cross forming Pressure- 

 ridges Hot Lunch Dog dies Hard going Deep Water Current 

 Other Dog dies Stopped by Open Water Return towards Land 

 Foggy Weather Life on the Icefields. 



Sunday, March 3. At 3 A.M. the watchman came to my 

 cabin and said that the weather was fine, cold, clear, and calm, 

 and after I had called Mr. Lemngwell and found him ready, 

 the cook was called. After a very substantial breakfast we 

 hitched our dogs at 6 A.M. and looked over our outfit for the 

 last time before the long march over the ice. Sachawachick 

 and Douglamana came down long before it was light, and 

 Cropcana came too, not so much in order to see us off as to 

 say that Makallektok could not go out on the ice as had been 

 arranged ; she had had a dream or something during the night. 

 Of course we told her in our best Eskimo language what we 

 thought of her and invited her to stay away from the ship 

 until further notice. 



At 7.30 the procession was ready, and with old Sachawachick 

 ahead we started, while the crew fired a salute which 

 frightened our dogs ; however, it was well meant. The dogs 



