176 THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE KARLUK 
had many discouraging features about it. We had 
been compelled to go as carefully as possible to 
conserve our energy and yet, work as we might, 
we did not seem to be getting any nearer a point 
of departure for Siberia, and of course the farther 
w T est we now went along the southern shore of 
Wrangell Island the longer would be our eastward 
journey when once we reached the mainland. 
Consequently, after we took up our journey the 
next morning we made another effort to find a way 
out through the rafters and the deep snow. About 
noon we had to abandon the attempt and turn back 
to the land; on the way back we broke one of the 
runners of the sledge and had to stop for about 
two hours to repair it. When we finally reached 
the land again we found better going, after we had 
followed the shoreline westward for a little while, 
and as we approached the mouth of Self ridge Bay 
we found it improving more and more. We got 
out on the ice along shore and found the way easier 
than it had been before, so that we were able to get 
to Blossom Point before we camped. The sky 
was overcast all day and the light was very bad. 
While Kataktovick was building the igloo at night 
I went on ahead for some distance and found that 
the going was getting still better. 
The next morning we started out over the ice. 
Shortly after we left our camp we broke our sledge 
