2^^ FARTHEST NORTH 



snowed-down track of a bear. Meanwhile we see ivory- 

 gulls continually ; but they are still too small to be worth 

 a cartridge ; yesterday, however, I saw a large gull, prob- 

 ably Larus argentatiis. 



" I determined to make one more attempt to get on 

 by striking farther east, and this time I was successful 

 in finding a passage across by way of a number of small 

 floes. On the other side there was rather old compact 

 ice, partially of formation a summer old, which seemed 

 to have been near land, as it was irregular, and much 

 intermixed with earthy matter. We have travelled over 

 this ice-field ever since without coming on lanes ; but it 

 was uneven, and we came to grief several times. In 

 other places again it was pretty good. 



" We began our march at 8 o'clock on Wednesday 

 afternoon, and halted here at 5 o'clock this morning.* 

 Later on in the forenoon the wind went over to the 

 northeast and the temperature fell. The snow froze 

 hard, and eventually the going became pretty good. The 

 crust on the snow bore the dogs up, and also the sledges 

 to a certain extent, and we looked forward to good going 

 on the following day; but in this we were doomed to 

 disappointment. No sooner had we got inside the tent 

 than it began to snow, and kept briskly at it the whole 

 day while we slept; and yesterday evening, when we 



* We found water on the ice here suitable for cooking for the first 

 time. It was, however, somewhat salt, so that the " fiskegratin " was too 

 well seasoned. 



