426 



CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



powers of the present company were truly marvellous, but even 

 this interesting occupation became tiresome in the long run, 

 and we turned in, two in all the bunks, and men and women 

 in the same room. 



We were glad to start on the next morning (March n), the 

 more so as the weather had changed and was now very beautiful. 



ON THE TOP OF THOMPSON'S PASS. 



Personally, however, I felt rather melancholy, for the two days' 

 delay in " Our Home," otherwise pleasant enough, had made it 

 impossible for me to reach the boat I had counted on, and 

 I should have to stay a whole week in Valdez. 



On March 15 we made a splendid run. We left Gulkana at 

 4.30 A.M. and arrived at Teikill, more than eighty miles distant, 

 at 10 P.M. The day was long, but the scenery was so beautiful 

 and the weather so glorious that we really did not mind. 



When we started it was very cold, almost 40 C., but before 

 long the sun rose over the mountains. It was a strange sensa- 

 tion to sit there, comfortably warmed by the rays of the sun, 

 while deep snow was lying on the ground and the trees were 

 covered with hoarfrost ; but the spring was coming, the pleasant 

 season when the snow would melt, the trees would bud, the 

 rivers open up, and sledging become a thing of the past. 





