136 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. AUGUST 



lying in the channel indicates open water, but prevents 

 us seeing what the ice is doing. 



' Noon. The wind is going down, and the clouds 

 clearing away off Cape Lupton ; a sure sign of fine 

 weather. 



' Went up the hill, as the mist cleared away, to 

 inspect the ice. A great change 'has taken place ; the 

 old ice of the basin has gone south apparently, and is 

 replaced by large and heavy floes from the north; 

 they are still travelling at a great rate in consequence 

 of the wind. 



' It is evident that we shall have a large amount 

 of boat work. I wish we could take the twenty-foot 

 ice-boat, but she is too heavy. We must wait until it 

 is quite calm, as the fifteen-foot ice-boat when loaded 

 is only three inches out of the water. 



' 9 P.M. It is now quite calm as far as we can see. 

 Closed the house ; secured everything, and started at 

 10 P.M. in the fifteen-foot ice-boat, with the sledge 

 towing astern. We are so deep and the sledge so 

 heavy, that we are going very slow ; pulled nearly to 

 Cape Lupton, and then took the ice, shaping course 

 for St. Patrick's Bay. After two hours' work entered 

 a large space of water ; it was a time of great anxiety 

 to me, as we could barely keep the water out of 

 the boat it was three miles broad. Disembarked 

 on the opposite side, placed the boat on the sledge, 

 and started across the floe. During the rest of the 

 march we proceeded in a similar manner ; each time 

 we embarked or disembarked it was necessary to un- 

 load the boat, either to launch her or haul her up. 



' Though we seem to have been drifted south, we 

 have made very good progress, and when we camped 



