OUR FIRST LANDINGS 55 



and, though ice-blink covered nearly all the horizon to 

 the west and south, we saw for a long time no ice. The 

 day wore on — we had passed Sauchika entry and the 

 Gobista mouth. Evening came — we were sailing past 

 the Kriva and still had met no ice. It really did look 

 hopeful. Perhaps, after all, we should at last round the 

 corner and find the Waskina. 



Alas ! The tide that brought ice on us from the 

 north had certainly pushed the southern pack down, 

 and the wind too had helped to that end. But limit of 

 compression had been reached. We were lower than we 

 had been before : and at 1 1.30 p.m. were off the sand-bar 

 where ' Shore-Lake ' used to lie. To round these sand- 

 banks was impossible. Two miles to the south the old 

 enemy lay in wait; an ice-field grim, uncompromising, 

 impossible. Its better acquaintance we did not desire. 

 We dropped an anchor and stayed. 



June 20th. — When I turned in at two o'clock this 

 morning the situation was unchanged. I had waited 

 and waited hoping against hope that the ice would move 

 and let us pass. 



I slept too soundly by some bad luck. Usually I was 

 like some weasel always popping a nose out of the hole 

 every hour or two to see that things were right. This 

 time I had clean lost consciousness for nearly five hours 

 straight off, and was only awakened after seven by the 

 sound of the screw. 



