OUR FIRST LANDINGS 59 



the kindness and good friendship of this ; but the mind 

 which is completely made up is no longer open to 

 alternatives. 



And so ended the sixth day of our disappointment. 



June i\st. — The morning settled it. The wind was 

 chiefly north ; but sometimes it was north-west, and then 

 in little over an hour's time had swung right across to 

 the north-east. Anyway, it was bad as bad could be for 

 the northern ice. 



Over the north of the island swept the same fog- 

 clouds, black and copper, and wicked in look. When 

 they lifted for a moment there was the ice-blink, as 

 steady as it had been before. 



We talked over our position. It came to this. We 

 had just enough coal for a run to Vardo — we had thirteen 

 tons or so— but not more. To go on playing this game 

 of dodging and waiting was to ruin all. What would I 

 not have given to be back at the Kriva! But it was 

 now too late ; the ice was chasing us up. 



And so I had to land. 



And then this question arose. Should I go alone or 

 should I take Hyland with me ? I was strongly inclined 

 to go alone. I mentioned it to Hyland ; he begged me 

 not to leave him behind. And when I pointed out to 

 him that it would be no child's play — that, indeed, we 

 might not come upon the natives at all and should 

 have to trust to our euns for food, he still said he would 



