194 FARTHEST NORTH 



lowed it a long way in a westerly direction, but without 

 finding a suitable crossing. Then I continued some 

 three or four miles alone to scan the country, but as I 

 could see no chance of getting over, I returned to Jo- 

 hansen and the sledges. It is a fruitless task, this fol- 

 lowing a lane running at right angles to one's course. 

 Better to camp and make one's self some good pemmi- 

 can soup, a la Julienne (it was highly delectable), and then 

 give one's self up to sleep, in the hope of better things 

 in the future. Either the lanes will close together again 

 or they will freeze, now that it is tolerably cold. The 

 weather is quiet, so it is to be hoped new ones will not 

 form.* If it keep like this during the days we require 

 to reach land, it will be a good thing ; when once we 

 are on land as many lanes may form as they like. Should 

 matters become too bad before that time, there is nothing 

 for us to do but to mend and patch our kayaks. As they 

 are now they will not float. The continual capsizing of 

 the sledges has cut holes in many places, and they would 

 fill the instant they were put on the water." 



I ought perhaps to explain here that I had deferred 

 mending the kayaks as long as possible. This was partly 

 because the work would take a long time, and the days 

 were precious, now that it was a question of gaining 

 land before the ice becamie impracticable ; partly, too, 

 because, in the temperature we now had, it would have 



*The lanes form most frequently in windy weather, as the ice is then 

 set in motion. 



