CHAPTER VI 



BY SLEDGE AND KAYAK 



"Saturday, June ist. So this is June. What has it 

 in store for us? Will not this month, either, bring us the 

 land we are longing for? Must hope and believe so, 

 thouoh the time is drawinu; out. Luck, for the matter of 

 that, is a wonderful thing. I expected this morning as 

 little of the day as was well possible ; the weather was 

 thick and snowy, and we had a strong contrary wind. It 

 was no better when we came on a lane directly after we 

 started, \vhich appeared to be nearly impassable ; every- 

 thing was dark and dull. However, the day turned out 

 to be better than we expected. By means of a detour 

 to the northeast I found a passage across the lane, and 

 we got on to long, flat plains which we went over until 

 quite midday. And from five this afternoon we had 

 another hour and a half of good ice, but that was the 

 end of it ; a lane which ran in several directions cut off 

 every means of advance, and although I spent more 

 than an hour and a half in looking for a crossing, none 

 was to be found. There was nothing for it but to camp, 

 and hope that the morrow would bring an improvement. 



