BY SLEDGE AND KAYAK 283 



kayaks in order for ferrying, so that their contents should 

 not be spoiled by water leaking in. Among other things, 

 a hole had to be patched in mine, which I had not seen 

 before. 



" We had a frugal supper — 2 ounces aleuronate bread 

 and I ounce butter per man — and crept into the bag to 

 sleep as long as possible and kill the time without eating. 

 The only thing to be done is to try and hold out till the 

 snow has melted and advance is more practicable. At 

 one in the afternoon we turned out to a rather more 

 abundant breakfast of ' fiskegratin,' but we do not dare to 

 eat as much as we require any longer. We are looking 

 forward to trying our new tactics, and instead of at- 

 tempting to conquer nature, obeying her and taking 

 advantage of the lanes. We must get some way, at any 

 rate, by this means; and the farther south the more 

 prospect of lanes and the greater chance of something- 

 falling to our guns. 



" Otherwise it is a dull existence enough, no prospect 

 for the moment of being able to get on, impassable 

 packed ice in every direction, rapidly diminishing pro- 

 visions, and now, too, nothing to be caught or shot. An 

 attempt I made at fishing with the net failed entirely — a 

 pteropod [Ciio borealis) and a few Crustacea were the 

 whole result. I lie awake at night by the hour racking 

 my brain to find a way out of our difficulties. Well, 

 well, there will be one eventually ! 



"Saturday, June 22d. Half-past 9 a.m. ; after a good 



