THE BREAK-UP. 
397 
search of open water. We had the full light of day, 
but without its oppressive glare. The thawed condi- 
tion of the marginal ice made the walk difficult, and 
forced us at last to give it up. But, climbing to the 
top of a hummock, we could see the bay rolling its al- 
most summer waves close under our view. It was a 
grand sight, but more saddening than grand. It seems 
like our cup of Tantalus ; we are never to reach it. 
And while we are floating close upon it, the season 
is advancing; and if we are ever to aid our broth- 
ers in the search, we should even now be hurrying 
back. 
^'•June 4. Yesterday over again. But the water is 
coming nearer us. As we stand on deck, we can see 
the black and open channel-way on every side of us, 
except off our port quarter: it is useless to talk of 
points of the compass ; our floe rotates so constantly 
from right to left, as to make them useless in de- 
scription. To port, the extent of ice baflies the eye, 
even from aloft; it must, however, be a mere isth- 
mus. 
^^June 5, Thursday. We notice again this morn- 
ing the movement in the trench alongside. The float- 
ing scum of rubbish advances and recedes with a reg- 
ularity that can only be due to some equable undula- 
tion from without to the north. We continue perch- 
ed up, just as we were after our great lift of last De- 
cember. A more careful measurement than we had 
made before, gave us yesterday, between our height 
aft and depression forward, a diflerence of level of 6 
feet 4 inches. This inclination tells in a length of 
83 feet — about one in thirteen. 
" P.M. The BREAK-UP AT LAST ! A little after five 
this afternoon, Mr. G-riffin left us for the Rescue, after 
f 
