258 FARTHEST XORTH 



Let the sun peep out a moment from the bank of clouds, 

 and the ice-plains glitter in all their whiteness; let the 

 sunbeams play on the water, and life seems beautiful in 

 spite of all, and worthy a struggle. 



" It is wonderful how little it takes to give one fresh 

 courage. Yesterday I found dead in a lane a little |X)lar 

 cod [Gadiis polaris), and my eyes, I am sure, must have 

 shone with pleasure when I saw it. It was real treasure- 

 trove. Where there is hsh in the water one can hardly 

 starve, and before I crept into the tent this morning I 

 set a line in the lane beside us. But what a number of 

 these little fish it would require to feed one; many more 

 in one day than one could catch in a week, or perhaps in 

 a month ! Yet one is hopeful, and lies counting the 

 chances of there being larger fish in the water here, and 

 of beinor able to fish to one's heart's content. 



" Advance yesterday was more difficult than on the 

 previous days, the ice more uneven and massive, and in 

 some places with occasional old floes in between. We 

 were stopped by many bad lanes, too, so did not make 

 much way — I am afraid not more than three or four miles. 

 I think we mav now reckon on beincy in latitude 82° 8' 

 or 9' N. if this continual southeast wind has not sent 

 us northward again. The going is g"etting worse and 

 worse. The snow is water -soaked to the bottom, and 

 will not bear the dogs any longer, though it has become 

 a little more granular lately, and the sledges run well on 

 it when they do not cut through, which happens continu- 



