220 FARTHEST NORTH 



back, and as the ice was fairly even, I at last put a sail 

 to my sledge. It almost went by itself, but did not in 

 the least change the dogs' pace ; they kept the same slow 

 time as before. Poor beasts, they become more and 

 more tired, and the oroinQr is heavy and loose. We 

 passed over many newly frozen pools that day, and some 

 time previously there must have been a remarkable 

 quantity of open water. 



" I do not think I exceed when I put clown our day's 

 march at 14 miles, and we ought to have latitude 83° be- 

 hind us, but as yet no sign of land. This is becoming 

 rather exciting. 



"Friday, May 24th. +1S.8" Fahr. (_ 7.4° C). Mini- 

 mum — 11,4" C. Yesterday was the worst day we have 

 yet had. The lane we had before us when we stopped 

 the previous da}' proved to be worse than any of the 

 others had been. After breakfast at i a.m., and while 

 Johansen was engaged in patching the tent, I trudged 

 off to look for a passage across, but was away for three 

 hours without finding any. There was nothing for it 

 but to follow the bend of the lane eastward and trust to 

 getting over eventually, but it turned out to be a longer 

 job than we had anticipated. When we came to the 

 place where it appeared to end, the surrounding ice-mass 

 was broken up in all directions, and the fioes were grind- 

 ing against each other as they tore along. There was no 

 safe passage across to be found anywhere. Where at 

 one moment, perhaps, I might have crossed over, at the 



