106 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. MAY 



and myself were perfectly free from scorbutic symp- 

 toms, while the two first attacked kept up with great 

 difficulty. 



' In due course of time we arrived at Cape Bryant, 

 and camped below the depot. 



' Quite a foot of snow had fallen since we had 

 passed, and it was rotting the old crust beneath, which 

 gave way under the weight of sledge and men, and 

 made the sledge seem a ton in weight. 



' During the very bad weather, which continued 

 about this time for many days, I pitched the tent over 

 the sledge when halted for lunch, thus keeping the 

 men under shelter and the gear dry, and providing a 

 comfortable seat for the sick ; by putting the sledge 

 quite on one side of the tent there was room enough 

 for all the rest to sit alongside it on the sail on the 

 other side. 



' This comfortable rest of two hours ! with an extra 

 half-pint of tea, was thought more of, and seemed to 

 do them more good, than anything else we could 

 devise, and so was adhered to for the remainder of the 

 time. 



4 On the 28th of May, finding that we could not go 

 on dragging the full load (with four men) through the 

 heavy snow, we made up a depot consisting of pemmi- 

 can, a coverlet, all the knapsacks and gear, spirits of 

 wine, part of the tent, &c., in all about 200 lb., and 

 got on much better afterwards. We gradually retraced 

 our steps until the morning of the 3rd of June. Up 

 to this time the weather had been one continuous 

 snow-fall with thick fogs ; the sun once or twice came 

 out for an hour or so and then snow fell again. The 



