506 FARTHEST NORTH 



and covered, too, with very thick snow, so tliat it was 

 not in a good condition for travelHng over. When, 

 therefore, the following day (Tuesday, June 9th), it also 

 began to stick in lumps to our snow-shoes and the sledge- 

 runners, they both worked rather heavily ; but the wind 

 was still favorable, and we sailed along well notwith- 

 standing. As we were sailing full speed, fiying before 

 the wind, and had almost reached the land, Johansen 

 and his sledge suddenly sank down, and it was with 

 difficulty that he managed to back himself and his 

 things against the wind and on to the firmer ice. As 

 I was rushing along, I saw that the snow in front of 

 me had a suspiciously wet color, and my snow-shoes 

 began to cut through ; but fortunately I still had time 

 to luff before any further misfortune occurred. W^e 

 had to take down our sails and make a long detour 

 westward, before we could continue our sail. Next 

 day, also, the snow clogged, but the wind had fresh- 

 ened, and we sailed better than ever. As the land to 

 the east* now appeared to trend to the southeast, we 

 steered for the southernmost point of a land to the 

 southwest.! It began to be more and more exciting. 

 We thought we must have covered abuut 14 miles that 

 day, and reckoned that wc must be in 80" 8' north lati- 

 tude, and we still had land in the south. If it con- 

 tinued far in that direction it was certain that we could 



* It proved afterwards to be " Hooker Island." 

 t It proved to be " Northbrook Island." 



