CHAPTER XLIT. 



TOWARDS THE NORTH! 



EARLY the following morning, April 27, we turned out and got 

 ready to drive on ; but, of course, by then the fine weather had 

 come to an end, and the wind was again howling and whistling 

 from the north, accompanied by fog and driving snow. 



There was nothing for it but to grind on northward on snow 

 that was the same slow going as before. When we had rounded 

 the point near which we had lain, a large bay opened out before us, 

 stretching inwards towards the plains, but bounded on the south 

 by a precipitous cliff, which fell abruptly into the sea. Here, at 

 first, we had to make our way across high, steep drifts ; between 

 them, indeed, was shining ice, but the dogs were unable to get a 

 purchase on it. Often the sledges stuck fast, and before they could 

 be moved from the spot we had both of us to lend a hand and 

 drag them until the dogs could get a foothold on the snow again. 

 About the middle of the bay the polished ice came to an end, 

 and we then made more even progress, though rather slowly. 



Once we thought we really saw seals lying on the ice, and as 

 we felt we must make sure of it, drove a little way up the bay. but 

 at closer quarters the seals proved to be two big stones. We had 

 no particular use for them, so we turned back without taking 

 them with us. 



We toiled across the bay during the course of that day, and 

 camped in the evening a little way north of the next point. 

 When the camp was ready we discovered, to our great annoyance, 

 that one of our private bags was missing. These bags contained 

 articles of far too much value for us to leave them behind if 

 we could avoid it. They contained changes of clothing, sewing 



395 



