THE VOYAGE OVER THE PACK ICE 195 



about twenty-five feet high, but neither on the ice which we 

 had crossed nor anywhere else within sight was there a piece 

 of ice level and large enough for us to pitch our tent on. 



There was nothing to be done but to return and start afresh, 

 with new sledges and lighter loads, so we took our outfit out 

 again and returned to camp on the nearest solid floe. A crack 

 had been formed since we passed, and we had to float down 

 some loose pieces of ice to make a bridge which could take the 

 sledges over the twelve feet wide lane. Then we camped, tired 

 and very sad because our first attempt had proved a failure, 

 and we had to go back to the ship. We had made about two 

 miles in nine hours ! Temperature 20 C. ; calm and 

 clear. 



Thursday, March 7. About two miles towards the north-west 

 we could see a high piece of ice and we walked across to it, to have 

 one look more at the surrounding ice. It was an immense 

 block about thirty-five to forty feet high, a solid blue piece 

 of ice ; and from the top of it we had the same outlook 

 which we had seen yesterday, and consequently made up our 

 minds to return with our badly-damaged sledges. At 8 A.M. 

 the camp was struck and we started for the ship. 



As we could now follow our old trail, the going was easier, 

 and the open water which had stopped us when going north 

 had in the meantime frozen over, so that we could pass it 

 without any hindrance. 



It was terribly hard work. The split runners dug deep into 

 the snow, acting upon the sledges as anchors, while they ripped 

 more and more, and we had to lay every ounce of our strength 

 into the hauling straps to make the sledges move at all. About 

 a mile from the shore we were entirely worn out, and har- 

 nessing all the dogs to one sledge, we left the others behind and 

 made for the ship ; it was a tired and disgusted outfit that 

 reached the Duchess of Bedford 'that night. Besides all our 

 other misfortunes, " Baby " had been taken ill; we were afraid 

 that he had got the same disease from which so many of our 

 dogs already had died, and as he was a very good dog we 

 were seriously worried. 



Friday, March 8. Home again and busy getting new sledges 

 broken out, old ones repaired, and weights reduced. We have 

 seen that it is impossible for us to make real progress with 



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