264 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



is drifting to the north-west. The wind is E.N.E., about 

 fifteen miles an hour. Temperature 8 C. 



Friday, May 3. Left our floe at 6.20 and launched out into 

 the water and crushed ice. There had been but little motion 

 in the ice during the night, and most of the cracks were so 

 solid that we could pass them by picking our way. Luckily 

 the lanes were all filled with slush ice, or we could have done 

 nothing. But we often ran great risks across the rubble, and 

 could only take the sledges over one at a time. It was a 

 wonder that we did not break through, as we were jumping 

 on ice which to all appearances was only five to six inches 

 thick, and without any means of ascertaining whether it could 

 bear us or not. The dogs had to come across unassisted and 

 as best they could, and often fell into the water when stepping 

 on slush. But they are beginning to learn, and the cleverer 

 are very careful to follow the sledge track and to jump where 

 they see us jumping. We are taking considerably greater 

 risks in passing thin ice now than we would have done further 

 out, as a sledge would certainly have been lost if it had 

 capsized or been stopped for some reason or other. We have 

 to keep them going from piece to piece with one man ahead, 

 hauling on a line, and two behind pushing the sledge, twisting 

 and steadying it when passing over the rubble, and carefully 

 jumping over or hanging to the sledge when coming to 

 treacherous ground. It is hard, slow work, but is our only 

 means of progress, and the dogs are running at large the 

 greater part of the day. 



Storkersen's sledge broke down entirely in crossing a ridge ; 

 the stanchions on one side jumped out of their sockets, and 

 the runners turned on edge. We had to halt an hour for 

 repairs. We sounded and found thirty-two metres, and 

 although we could not get a latitude at noon, the sounding 

 seems to show that we are getting nearer land. Our trail has 

 been across some exceedingly heavy pressure-ridges, and a 

 piece of ice about 12 feet thick had been crushed upon a lot of 

 rubble to a total height of nearly 25 feet. 



At 2 P.M. we came to a lane about two hundred yards wide, 

 and although it was mostly filled with rubble ice, we could 

 not cross, as there was practically open water for about 20 feet 

 in the middle. The ice was too loose near the edge for 



