THE JOURNEY OVER THE PACK ICE 261 



a hard time now, as they have to plunge into the water if they 



cannot jump across, since we have not time to help them along 



as well as our sledges, but luckily the weather is warm, so it 



does not hurt them. Once in passing a stretch of water we 



had to cross seven lanes, some of which were so wide as to 



cause us considerable trouble. We halted at noon to get a 



rest and take a latitude, and 



when we started again it was 



to cross more wide lanes ; the 



country seems to consist of 



nothing but open water and 



heavy rubble, both of which 



are making progress far from 



pleasant. 



Immediately after lunch we 

 had to pass a wide lane which 

 cost us more than an hour's 

 work. It was all filled up 

 with slush ice, far too heavy 

 to force the raft through, but 

 not so heavy as to allow us to 

 step on it. In the slush some 

 small pieces of real ice were 

 floating to and fro, and we 

 managed to get hold of one of 

 them, get our outfit upon it, 

 push off, and wait until we 

 came close to some other small 

 pieces. And thus, passing from 



one piece of ice to another, we managed to cross over to 

 firm ice again, and once more commenced the steady grind 

 through heavy rubble. Every now and then our sledges 

 stuck fast, and all hands had to come to the rescue. They 

 would capsize in the soft snow, the dogs would sink into it 

 so that they could not pull, or the sledge would be brought to 

 a stop before a piece of ice. We miss our pickaxe sadly, and 

 the small one we have is not of much account. At 2 P.M. we 

 came to the highest pressure-ridges which we have yet seen. 

 One of them was at least 35 feet high, and we had been 

 able to see it for the last day and a half. We climbed it, but it 



LEFFINGWELL TAKES AN OBSER- 

 VATION ON THE PACK ICE. 



