came upon another of Henson's igloos--not
greatly to my surprise. I knew, from experience, that yesterday's
movement of the ice and the formation of leads about us would take all
the spirit out of Henson's party until the main party should overtake
them again. Sure enough, the next march was even shorter. At the end of
a little over four hours we found Henson and his division in camp,
making one sledge out of the remains of two. The damage to the
sledges was the reason given for the delay.

This march having been largely over a broad zone of rough rubble ice,
some of my own sledges had suffered slight damage, and the entire party
was now halted and the sledges were overhauled.

After a short sleep I put Marvin ahead to pick the trail, with
instructions to try to make two long marches to bring up the average.

Marvin got away very early, followed a little later by Bartlett, Borup,
and Henson, with pickaxes to improve further the trail made by Marvin.
After that came the sledges of their divisions, I, as usual, bringing up
the rear with my division, that I might have everything ahead of me and
know just how things were going. Marvin gave us a good march of not less
than seventeen miles, at first over very rough ice, then over larger and
more level floes, with a good deal of young ice between.

At the end of this march, on the evening of the 19th, while the Eskimos
were building the igloos, I outlined to the remaining members of my
party, Bartlett, Marvin, Borup, and Henson, the program which I should
endeavor to follow from that time on. At the end of the next march
(which would be five marches from where MacMillan and the doctor turned
back) Borup would return with three Eskimos, twenty dogs, and one
sledge, leaving the main party--twelve men, ten sledges, and eighty
dogs. Five marches farther on Marvin would return with two Eskimos,
twenty dogs, and one sledge, leaving the main party with nine men, seven
sledges, and sixty dogs. Five marches farther on Bartlett would return
with two Eskimos, twenty dogs, and one sledge, leaving the main party
six men, forty dogs, and five sledges.

I hoped that with good weather, and the ice no worse than that which we
had already encountered, Borup might get beyond 85 deg., Marvin beyond 86 deg.,
and Bartlett beyond 87 deg.. At the end of each five-march section I should
send back the poorest dogs, the least effective Eskimos, and the worst
damaged sledges.

As will appear, this