2i 4 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



attempt the passage. Camped at 4.10 P.M., fully determined to 

 try and reach it to-morrow. All we could make to-day was four 

 miles, but a latitude taken at noon gave us the pleasant result 

 that we were five miles further north than we had expected. 

 We are at a loss, how to account for it, unless we should be 

 drifting, and we have not yet noticed that. 



Temperature at 6.30 A.M., 21 C. ; at noon, 18 C. 

 Lat. 71 21'. Clear and calm. 



Friday, April 5. Broke camp at 7 A.M. and found better 

 going than we expected. However, it only lasted for a short 

 time, and an hour after starting we were mushing along in 

 deep snow and dodging between heavy pieces of ice. The 

 pickaxe was also in constant use. It was a miserable day, 

 blowing and rather hazy, so that we could not see where we 

 were going. But luck was with us ; in a clearing we saw the 

 old ice close at hand, and, what was almost as good, we saw 

 a lane covered with thin ice going all the way towards it. At 

 ii A.M. we had firm ice under us, and the going became fine. 

 However, the wind was increasing, and drifting snow was 

 barring our outlook so much that we decided to camp. In a 

 remarkably short time the tent was pitched, and as it was my 

 week to do the cooking, I retired as soon as it was made fast. 

 To remove my boots, beat the snow from my furs, and crawl 

 into the bag was the work of seconds. Then the Primus was 

 started, a pot full of ice was put on it, and a very slight but 

 nevertheless pleasant heat soon drove away the raw cold air 

 from inside the tent. Outside the wind was tearing at the tent, 

 and Mr. Leffingwell and Storkersen were building a wind-break 

 and feeding the dogs ; after that peace descended upon the 

 camp, the dogs curled themselves up, pleased with the short 

 day's work, and we stretched ourselves in our bags, very pleased 

 with the prospect of half a day in the tent, listening to the 

 cheerful hum of our Primus lamp as it was doing its work in 

 transforming- ice to hot water, preparatory to making our 

 cherished dish of malted milk. 



After lunch we had some sewing work to do, and we plied 

 the needle as well as could be expected in a cold tent and on 

 stiff and half- frozen furs. Of course it was no fancy work we 

 were making, but as it was strong it served the purpose. We 

 could not afford to cook a full meal for supper, and after some 



