1 84 FARTHEST NORTH 



ice, and the cracks running in all directions. I finally 

 found a crossing, but when, after a long circuit, I had 

 conveyed the caravan there, it had changed in the in- 

 terval, and I did not think it advisable to make the at- 

 tempt. But though I went 'farther than far,' as we 

 say, I only found the same abominable lane, full of 

 lumps of ice, grinning at one, and high pressure-ridges 

 on each side. Things were becoming worse and worse. 

 In several cases these lumps of ice were, I noticed, in- 

 termixed with earthy matter. In one place the whole 

 floe, from which blocks had been pressed up into a 

 ridge, was entirely dark-brown in color, but whether this 

 was from mud or from organic matter I did not get 

 near enough to determine. The ridges were fairly high 

 in some places, and reached a height of 25 feet or so. 

 I had a good opportunity here of observing how they 

 assume forms like ice - mountains with high, straight 

 sides, caused by the splitting of old ridges transversely 

 in several directions. I have often on this journey seen 

 massive high hummocks with similar square sides, and 

 of great circumference, sometimes quite resembling snow- 

 covered islands. They are of 'pala^ocrystic ice,' as good 

 as any one can wish.* 



" I was constrained at last to return with my mission 

 unaccomplished. Nearly the most annoying thing about 



* We saw no real ice-mountains at any period of our journey before 

 we got under land ; everything was sea-ice. The same was the case 

 during the drift of the Fraiii. 



