26o FARTHEST NORTH 



is — But some time we shall get back to life, and then 

 it will be fairer than it has ever been before. 



"Wednesday, June 12th. This is getting worse and 

 worse. Yesterday we did nothino-, hardlv advanced more 

 than a mile. WVetched snow, uneven ice, lanes, and 

 villanous weather stopped us. There was certainly a 

 crust on the snow, on which the sledsfes ran well when 

 they were on it ; but when they broke through — and 

 they did it constantly — they stood immovable. This 

 crust, too, was bad for the dogs, poor things ! They sank 

 through it into the deep snow between the irregulari- 

 ties, and it was like swimming through slush for them. 

 But all the same we made way. Lanes stopped us. it 

 is true, but we cleared them somehow. Over one of 

 them, the last, which looked nasty, we got by making a 

 bridge of small floes, which we guided to the narrowest 

 place. But then a shameless storm of wet snow, ox, more 

 correctly, sleet, with immense flakes, set in, and the wind 

 increased. We could not see our way in this labyrinth 

 of lanes and hummocks, and were as soaked as ducked 

 crows, as we say. The going was impossible, and the 

 sledges as good as immovable in the wet snow, which 

 was soon deep enough to cling to our 'ski' underneath 

 in great lumps, and prevent them from running. There 

 was hardly any choice but to find a camping-ground as 

 soon as possible, for to force one's way along in such 

 weather and on such snow, and make no progress, was 

 of little use. We found a good camping -ground and 



