204 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



afterwards we saw the Midway Islands, which we reached 

 about 2 P.M., when we camped. The landfloe was wider here 

 than at Cross Island, but some rubble ice which we passed 

 during the day's march did not look quite so heavy as the 

 ice off Cross Island and Flaxman Island. Our hopes are 

 reviving fast, as the ice seen from the island is one level 

 expanse. 



Temperature varying from 20 C. to 15 C. Barometer 

 falling rapidly. 



Tuesday, March 26. Although the weather was fine all 

 yesterday until we turned in, a gale from the south-west sprang 

 up during the night, and we had to leave our warm sleeping 

 bags to go outside and build a wind-break. The wind died 

 down a little toward the morning, but starting was out of the 

 question, so one more day had to be spent in the tent. 

 Although the sun is shining the snow is drifting very hard, and 

 it is almost impossible to work outside. Our hopes, which 

 were so high last night, are dead and buried to-day ; all this 

 bad weather is very disheartening and does not promise well 

 for a successful trip. At 5 P.M. the wind died down suddenly, 

 and we may after all be able to travel to-morrow. 



Wednesday, March 27. We seem to be haunted by bad 

 weather, for, although it was calm at 5 A.M., it blew up so 

 much during breakfast that we did not think it advisable to 

 start to-day; we had again proposed an attempt to penetrate 

 the barrier of broken ice which lines the coast. 



As a wind from the south has always been the forerunner 

 of a blizzard, we built wind-breaks to be ready for it, but, 

 although the wind increased to some fifteen miles an hour, 

 nothing further happened. Later in the day Mr. Leffingwell 

 and myself went out on the sea ice to see what it looked like. 

 About four miles off land we climbed a solitary high piece 

 of ice, and to our great joy we could see a lane of young ice 

 leading northward, lined with heavy rubble ice on either side. 

 Now, at last, it seems as if we have a chance to get through 

 this infernal belt of ice which has delayed us for almost a 

 month. We returned to the tent in the best of spirits, and till 

 late that night we talked about the land which we hoped to 

 find and the mysteries of Beaufort Sea, some of which we 

 hoped to solve. 



