1 64 FARTHEST NORTH 



but always with the same result ; that is to say, provided 

 only the ice were still, we must be far above the eighty- 

 sixth parallel. It was becoming only too clear to me, 

 however, that the ice was moving southward, and that in 

 its capricious drift, at the mercy of wind and current, we 

 had our worst enemy to combat. 



" F"riday, April 5th. Began our march at three yes- 

 terday morning. The ice, however, was bad, with lanes 

 and ridges, so that our progress was but little. These 

 lanes, with rubble thrown up on each side, are our 

 despair. It is like driving over a tract of rocks, and 

 delays us terribly. First I must go on ahead to find a 

 way, ajid then get my sledge through ; then, perhaps, by 

 way of a change, one falls into the water; yesterday, I 

 fell through twice. If I work hard in finding a way and 

 guiding my sledge over rough places, Johansen is no 

 better off, with his two sledges to look after. It is a 

 tough job to get even one of them over the rubble, to 

 say nothing of the ridges; but he is a plucky fellow, and 

 no mistake, and never gives in. Yesterday he fell into 

 the water again in crossing a lane, and got wet up to his 

 knees. I had gone over on my snow-shoes shortly before 

 and did not notice that the ice was weak. He came 

 afterwards without snow-shoes, walking beside one of the 

 sledges, when suddenly the ice gave, and he fell through. 

 Happily he managed to catch hold of the sledge, and the 

 dogs, which did not stop, pulled him up again. These 

 baths are not an unmixed pleasure, now that there is no 



