THE THIRD SUMMER 695 



our hopes, and were ready to utilize the very first chance which 

 should present itself. 



Late in the evening of July 17th the ice began to slacken so 

 much that we decided to get up steam. True, it closed up 

 again at once, but nevertheless we kept up steam. Nor were we 

 disappointed, for at i o'clock in the morning the water opened 

 so much that we were able to steam ahead, and we made 3 

 miles in a southerly direction. Later in the morning we were 

 stopped by an immense floe of ice, extending many miles; and 

 we had to make fast. The whole day following we remained 

 there. About midnight the ice slackened a good deal, but the 

 fog was so dense that we could see nothing. At last, on the 

 19th, we made what we considered excellent headway. Starting 

 when the fog lifted a little in the forenoon, we made about 10 

 miles from 12.30 r.M. till 8 P.M. This stroke of good luck made 

 our spirits revive wonderfully, and they rose still more the fol- 

 lowing day when, notwithstanding the fog and though we had 

 to stop three times, we advanced from 83° 14' in the morning 

 to 82° 52' at noon and 82° 39' midnight. From the 20th to the 

 27th we continued to make good progress. By midnight on the 

 last-named day we had reached 81° 32' north latitude. 



From July 27th till August 2d it was slow and tiresome work. 

 By August 2d we had not got beyond 81° 26' north latitude. 

 At the same time we had been carried some distance eastward — ■ 

 namely, to 13° 41' east longitude. 



On Monday, August 3d, we made about 2 miles to the south- 

 west, but had to remain moored in impossible waters till the 

 8th, when it slackened so much around the vessel that we were 

 able to proceed again at 9 A.M. However, we had only made 

 about 6 miles, when we were stopped by a long, narrow strait. 

 We tried blasting with ordinary gunpowder, and later with gun- 

 cotton, and time after time we steamed full speed against the 

 smaller floes that blocked the strait, but without effect. These 

 floes, as a rule, are not so small and innocent as they appear. 

 They consist generally of the fragments of old, thick, and very 

 tough pressure-ridges which have been broken up. When these 

 pieces get free, they sink deep below the surface of the water, 



