1 62 FARTHEST NORTH 



watches. Johansen's had stopped altogether; mine was 

 ticking, and happily still going when I wound it up, so 

 I hope that it is all right. Twelve midday, —24.6' Fahr. 

 ( — 31.5'" C). Clear weather, southeasterly wind (13 feet 

 in the second). 



" The ice seems to be getting worse and worse, and 

 I am beginning to have doubts as to the wisdom of keep- 

 ing northward too long. 



" Wednesday, April 3d. Got under way yesterday 

 about three in the afternoon. The snow was in first- 

 rate condition after the southeast wind, which continued 

 blowing till late in the day. The ice was tolerably 

 passable, and everything looked more promising; the 

 weather was fine, and we made good progress. But 

 after several level tracts with old humpy ice came some 

 very uneven ones, intersected by lanes and pressure- 

 ridges as usual. Matters did not grow any better 

 as time went on, and at midnight or soon after we 

 were stopped by some bad ice and a newly frozen lane 

 which would not bear. As we should have had to 

 make a long detour, we encamped, and ' Russen ' was 

 killed (this was the second dog to go). The meat was 

 divided into 26 portions, but 8 dogs refused it, and 

 had to be given pemmican. The ice ahead does not 

 look inviting. These ridges are enough to make one 

 despair, and there seems to be no prospect of things 

 bettering. I turned out at midday and took a meridian 

 observation, which makes us in 85' 59 N. It is aston- 



