THE VOYAGE OVER THE PACK ICE 205 



Temperature 33 to 29 C. Wind dying down fast 

 toward nightfall. 



Thursday, March 28. We broke camp at 7 A.M. in fine 

 weather, clear and calm, but very cold, between 37 C. and 

 40 C. Our high expectations of yesterday were realized to the 

 full, and more than realized. We easily passed the large level 



CAMPED NEAR A PRESSURE-RIDGE. 



landfloe, but then we had some hard work for two hundred 

 yards. It took us thirty-five minutes to cover that distance, 

 but what did we care ? Ahead, as far as we could see, the ice 

 was level. Large fields of young ice followed one upon the 

 other, only separated by small pressure-ridges. Full of anxiety 

 we hauled near them, afraid that they might mark the south 

 side of heavy and impassable ice, but whenever we arrived 

 at the top the same sight presented itself, large and level floes 

 ahead. The ice over which we travelled was thin and had 

 probably been formed quite recently. It looked as if the late 

 bad weather, which had so disgusted us, had cracked the ice 

 and set it apart. The subsequent cold weather then froze the 

 lane, and we have not had a change of wind since to crush it 

 again. Although it was very hard going over the thin salty 

 ice, we made great progress. At 2 P.M. we entered a streak 

 of bad going, but after an hour's hard work that also was 



