OUR FIRST LANDINGS 55 
and, though ice-blink covered nearly all the horizon to 
the west and south, we saw for a long time no ice. The 
day wore on—we had passed Sauchika entry and the 
Gobista mouth. Evening came—we were sailing past 
the Kriva and still had met no ice. It really did look 
hopeful. Perhaps, after all, we should at last round the 
corner and find the Waskina. 
Alas! The tide that brought ice on us from the 
north had certainly pushed the southern pack down, 
and the wind too had helped to that end. But limit of 
compression had been reached. We were lower than we 
had been before: and at 11.30 P.M. were off the sand-bar 
where ‘Shore-Lake’ used to lie. To round these sand- 
banks was impossible. Two miles to the south the old 
enemy lay in wait; an ice-field grim, uncompromising, 
impossible. Its better acquaintance we did not desire. 
We dropped an anchor and stayed. 
June 20th.—When I turned in at two o'clock this 
morning the situation was unchanged. I had waited 
and waited hoping against hope that the ice would move 
and let us pass. 
I slept too soundly by some bad luck. Usually I was 
tike some weasel always popping a nose out of the hole 
every hour or two to see that things were right. This 
time I had clean lost consciousness for nearly five hours 
straight off, and was only awakened after seven by the 
sound of the screw. 
