THE POLAR SEA 
Ootah said he was ''damn feel good'' and in 
Esquimo gave me to understand that he was 
going back to the ship. I tried to tell him 
different, as we walked back; and when we 
reached camp we found the Commander and 
his party, who had just come in; and the Com- 
mander gave Ootah to distinctly understand 
that he was not going back just yet. Orders 
were given to camp, and while the igloos were 
being built, Marvin and MacMillan took 
soundings. There had been more daylight 
than on the day before, and the gale had sub- 
sided considerably, but it was dark when we 
turned in to have our evening meal and sleep. 
March 3 : Right after breakfast, my party 
immediately started, taking the trail I had 
found the day previous. Examining the ice, 
we went to the westward, until we came to the 
almost solid new ice, and we took a chance. 
The ice commenced to rafter under us, but we 
got across safely with our loads, and started 
east again, for two miles ; when we found our- 
selves on an island of ice completely sur- 
rounded by the heavy raftered ice. Here we 
halted and mended sledges and in the course 
of an hour the whole party had caught up. 
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