SCHAROK AGAIN 251 



rain made it most unpleasant. Nothing could be gained 

 by going out, for you could only struggle miserably along 

 half-blinded. Hyland complained of a bad pain in his 

 back. 'I'm all right when I lie still,' he said, 'but 

 whenever I move it shoots all up my back.' 



It did not seem to be rheumatism exactly, but still the 

 tent was soaking wet and everything inside it. So I 

 made him move up into Uano's hut, which was, at all 

 events, more or less rain-proof, while I did the cooking 

 for the clay. The white-fronted goose came as a pleasant 

 change from long-tailed duck, on which we had chiefly 

 lived. 



For the first time I noticed at midnight the sun's 

 lower limb below the horizon. 



' The ice is all back again, packed right against the 

 land. ' 



July 2\th. — With a change of wind to-day to the 

 south-west and then to north-west, the ice began 

 cannonading as usual. 



Found all the biscuits wet, so turned them out to dry. 

 ' We have now exactly forty-five of them left, which puts 

 us on an allowance of three a day for a week, by the end 

 of which time the Saxon or else the Russians may have 

 come.' 



The snow-water had failed us. But we found a hole 

 filled by yellow water from the bogs, and down to this 

 we moved the tent. 



