202 



CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



the snow commenced to drift, and it was soon only too evident 

 that we should be obliged to spend another day in camp. 

 During the afternoon the wind reached a velocity of about 

 thirty miles an hour, and as the temperature at 9 A.M. was 

 40*2 C., it was not very pleasant outside. We passed the 

 day in the tent as cheerfully as we could, which, however, is 



not saying very much. 



Saturday, March 23. The 

 weather improved during 

 the night, and we broke 

 camp at 6.30 A.M. in most 

 beautiful weather. It was 

 clear but cold, 38 C., 

 with a light wind blowing. 

 For the first three miles 

 from land we had fine going 

 over an unbroken landfloe 

 with some heavy old ice 

 frozen in, but ahead of us 

 ridge after ridge showed 



OVER OLDER ICE. tnat we were approaching 



the real difficulties. It was 



even worse than we had expected, and from an old floe about 

 twenty-five feet high there was nothing to be seen except very 

 heavy rubble ice, all the way to the horizon. Here and there 

 high pressure-ridges rose above the rubble, mute evidence of the 

 awful force which had crushed and piled the ice so high. A 

 lead running out toward west-north-west was followed to the end 

 for about two miles, and from there the same unpleasant sight of 

 heavy and impassable ice met our eyes as we gazed northward, 

 in vain scanning the horizon for a level stretch. We had broken 

 one sledge bow and split one under-runner, and as we could see 

 no prospect whatever of further progress, we followed our old 

 tracks and returned to Cross Island, more dejected in mind 

 than ever. We camped at our old site at 3 P.M. ''Baldwin," 

 one of the dogs belonging to Mr. LerfingwelPs team, a worth- 

 less animal which had only been taken along as self-trans- 

 portable food, had made himself invisible during the night. 

 He possibly had a notion that he would be the first to be 

 killed if we ever managed to come out on the ice, and we 



