222 FARTHEST NORTH 



too much of this mist ! How many lanes and cracks we 

 went across, how many huge ridges we clambered over, 

 dragging the heavy sledges after us, I cannot say, but 

 very many. They twisted and turned in all directions, 

 and water and slush met us everywhere. 



" But everything comes to an end, and so did this. 

 After another two-and-a-half hours' severe exertion we 

 had put the last lane behind us, and before us lay a 

 lovely plain. Altogether we had now been at this sort 

 of work for nearly twelve hours, and I had, in addition, 

 followed the lane for three hours in the morning, which 

 made fifteen altogether. We v/ere thoroughly done, 

 and wet too. How many times we had gone through the 

 deceptive crust of snow which hides the water between 

 the pieces of ice it is impossible to say. Once during 

 the morning I had had a narrow escape. I was going 

 confidently along on snow-shoes over what I supposed 

 to be solid ice when suddenly the ground began to sink 

 beneath me. Happily there were some pieces of ice not 

 far off on which I succeeded in throwing myself, while 

 the water washed over the snow I had just been 

 standing on. I might have had a long swim for it 

 through the slush, which would have been anything but 

 pleasant, particularly seeing that I was alone. 



" At last we had level ice before us ; but, alas ! our 

 happiness was destined to be short-lived. From the 

 dark belt of clouds on the sky we saw that a new 

 channel was in prospect, and at eight in the evening we 



