326 FARTHEST NORTH 



that this drift eastward, away from land, may stop or 

 alter its course, and thus bring us nearer land. It is 

 unfortunate that the lanes are covered with young ice, 

 which it would be disastrous to put the kayaks through. 

 If this oets worse, thino's will look very bad. Meanwhile 

 we have nothing to do but go on as fast as we can. If 

 we are going to drift back into the ice again, then — 

 then — 



" Saturday, August 3d. Inconceivable toil. We 

 never could go on with it were it not for the fact that we 

 must. We have made wretchedly little progress, even if 

 we have made any at all. We have had no food for the 

 dogs the last few days except the ivory-gulls and fulmars 

 we have been able to shoot, and that has been a couple a 

 day. Yesterday the dogs only had a little bit of blubber 

 each. 



" Sunday, August 4th. These lanes are desperate 

 work and tax one's strength. We often have to go 

 several hundred yards on mere brash, or from block to 

 block, draofoino; the sledo^es after us, and in constant fear 

 of their capsizing into the water. Johansen was very 

 nearly in yesterday, but, as always hitherto, he managed 

 to save himself. The dogs fall in and get a bath contin- 

 ually. 



" Monday, August 5th. We have never had worse 

 ice than yesterday, but we managed to force our way 

 on a little, nevertheless, and two happy incidents marked 

 the day : the first was that Johansen was not eaten up by 



