290 FARTHEST NORTH 



proving my temper. Once or twice I ran round in front 

 of the clogs, and tried to force them to turn by lashing at 

 them with the whip. They jumped to both sides and 

 only tore on the faster ; the reins got twisted round my 

 ankles, and I was thrown flat on the sledge, and they went 

 on more wildly than ever. This w^as my first experience 

 in dog driving on my own account, and I will not pretend 

 that I was proud of it. I inwardly congratulated myself 

 that my feats had been unobserved. 



" In the afternoon I examined the melted water of the 

 newly formed brownish-red ice, of which there is a good 

 deal in the openings round us here. The microscope 

 proved this color to be produced by swarms of small or- 

 ganisms, chiefly plants — quantities of diatom^e and some 

 algce, a few of them very peculiar in form. 



"Saturday, October 21st. I have stayed in to-day 

 because of an affection of the muscles, or rheumatism, 

 which I have had for some days on the right side of 

 my body, and for which the doctor is ' massaging ' 

 me, thereby greatly adding to my sufferings. Have 

 I really grown so old and palsied, or is the whole 

 thing imagination .f* It is all I can do to limp about; 

 but I just wonder if I could not get up and run with 

 the best of them if there happened to be any great 

 occasion for it : I almost believe I could. A nice 

 Arctic hero of 32, lying here in my berth! Have 

 had a good time reading home letters, dreaming my- 

 self at home, dreaming of the home-coming — in how 



