THE VOYAGE OVER THE PACK ICE 211 



at least twenty feet high, so that there was a fine sheltered valley 

 in the middle. We were tempted to camp, but the ice we had 

 in our immediate neighbourhood was of such quality that it 

 would spoil our tempers for the whole of the following day if 

 we had to work through it in the morning. Consequently we 

 waded through the deep snow, at times sinking to our waists, 

 hauling in the hauling straps, taking the sledges in standing 

 pulls, yelling at and whipping the dogs, until we were through, 

 having gained 300 to 400 yards by our one hour's work. 



We passed three fresh bear tracks and numerous fox tracks 

 to-day. There seems to be a lot of food for them, but it is 

 strange the further we get from the shore the more fox tracks 

 we meet. Can it really mean that new land is near ? 



Made about five miles northing; lat. 70 9'. Temperature at 

 7 A.M., 30 C. ; at noon, 20 C. 



Wednesday, April 3. At 6.30 A.M. we were off, braced by a 

 good night's rest for a hard day's work, but it was worse than we 

 had ever thought possible. For the first half-hour we went over 

 fairly good ice, but ahead of us we could see a wall which was 

 anything but promising. It looked suspiciously like the ice we 

 had met off Flaxman and Cross Islands, and we were not 

 mistaken either. 



From a high piece of ice we saw it extending a long distance 

 towards the north. I do not think that our eyes ever beheld 

 a rougher and more desolate space than they now looked on. 

 There was not the slightest indication of level ice between the 

 high rubble. Our only hope was that we thought we could see 

 the end of it. But good or bad, there was nothing to be done 

 but to start. I went first with pick and shovel, chopping down 

 the high sharp pieces and dumping the larger blocks into holes, 

 while the shovel was used to level the tops of the snowdrifts. 

 Every advantage which a snowdrift, even a small one of some 

 few feet, could offer was used. I crawled to the top of every 

 large piece of ice in order to have a look ahead, then went at it 

 again, and behind me Mr. Lefnngwell and Storkersen were 

 dragging the sledges along. At first my comrades endeavoured 

 to make the dogs pull, but they shouted themselves hoarse to 

 no purpose, as the dogs sunk into the snow or ran wild to get 

 to a piece of ice. The whip was plied, the dogs made a jump 

 ahead, but the sledge would not budge. Then the men had to 



P 2 



