270 FARTHEST NORTH 



taken a nap and again turned out at midday to-day, the 

 condition of the snow proved to be no better; in fact, 

 rather worse. Tlie new snow was wet and sticky and 

 the o-oinsf as heavy as it well could be. However, it 

 was necessary to make an attempt to get on ; there was 

 nothing gained by waiting there, and progress is prog- 

 ress be it ever so little. 



" I took a single altitude about midday, but it was not 

 sharp. 



"' Saturda)', June 15th. The middle of June, and still 

 no prospect of an end to this; things only became worse 

 instead. So bad as yesterday, though, it had never 

 been, and worse, happily, it can hardly be. The sledges 

 ran terribly heavy in the loose, wet, newly fallen snow, 

 which was deep to boot; and sometimes when they 

 stopped — and that was continually — they stuck as if 

 glued to the spot. It was all we could do to move them 

 when we pushed with all our might. Then to this was 

 added the fact that one's snow-shoes ran equally badly, 

 and masses of snow collected underneath them the 

 minute one stopped ; one's feet kept twisting continually 

 from this, and ice formed under them, so that one sud- 

 denly slid off the snow-shoes and into the snow, till far 

 above one's knees, when one tried to pull or help the 

 sledges; but there was nothing for it but to scramble 

 up and on to them again. To wade along in such snow 

 without them is an impossibility, and, as I have said 

 before, though fastening them on securely would have 



