LAND AT LAST 



349 



rived at the east side of Franz Josef Land ? It seemed 

 very reasonable to suppose this to be the case. But then 

 we must be very far east, and must expect a long voyaoe 

 before we could reach Cape Fligely, on Crown Prince 

 Rudolf Land. Meanwhile we worked hard to eet the 

 sledges ready ; but as the mist gradually lifted and it 

 became clearer and clearer, we could not help continu- 

 ally leaving them, to climb up on to the hummock be- 

 side us to look at the country, and speculate on this 

 insoluble problem. We did not get to bed till seven in 

 the morning of August 12th. 



" Tuesday, August 1 3th. After having slept a few 

 hours, we turned out of the bag again, for the current 

 had turned, and there was a wide channel. In our 

 single kayaks we made good headway, but after going 

 about five miles the channel closed, and we had to 

 clamber on to the ice. We thought it advisable to 

 wait until the tidal current turned, and see if there were 

 not a channel running farther. If not, we must lash 

 proper grips of wood to our curtailed sledges, and com- 

 mence hauling towards a sound running through the 

 land, which I see about W.N.W. (true), and which, ac- 

 cording to Payer's chart, I take to be Rawlinson's 

 Sound." 



But the crack did not open, and when it came to the 

 point we had to continue on our way hauling. 



"Wednesday, August 14th. We dragged our sledges 

 and loads over a number of floes and ferried across lanes, 



