lear, brilliant sunlight, a fine breeze from the north,
and temperature in the minus forties.

The next march, on the 22d, was a fair one of not less than fifteen
miles. The going was at first tortuous, over rough, heavy ice, which
taxed the sledges, dogs, and drivers to the utmost; then we struck a
direct line across large and level floes. At the end of this march I
found that Bartlett and one of his men had already left; but Henson and
his party were in their igloo. Ooqueah, of Bartlett's party, whose
sledge had broken down the day before, was also in camp. I turned
Marvin's sledge over to Ooqueah, so that Bartlett should have no further
hindrance in his work of pioneering, and started him and Henson's party
off. The damaged sledge I turned over to Marvin, giving him a light
load. We were not without our difficulties at this period of the
journey, but our plan was working smoothly and we were all hopeful and
in excellent spirits.

CHAPTER XXVII

GOOD-BY TO MARVIN

Up to this time no observations had been taken. The altitude of the sun
had been so low as to make observations unreliable. Moreover, we were
traveling at a good clip, and the mean estimate of Bartlett, Marvin, and
myself, based on our previous ice experience, was sufficient for dead
reckoning. Now, a clear, calm day, with the temperature not lower than
minus forty, made a checking of our dead reckoning seem desirable. So I
had the Eskimos build a wind shelter of snow, in order that Marvin might
take a meridian altitude for latitude. I intended that Marvin should
take all the observations up to his farthest, and Bartlett all beyond
that to his farthest. This was partly to save my eyes, but principally
to have independent observations with which to check our advance.

The mercury of the artificial horizon was thoroughly warmed in the
igloo; a semi-circular wind-guard of snow blocks two tiers high was put
up, opening to the south; a musk-ox skin was laid upon the snow inside
this; my special instrument box was placed at the south end and firmly
bedded into the snow in a level position; the artificial horizon trough,
especially devised for this kind of work, was placed on top and the
mercury poured into it until it was even full, when it was covered
with the glass horizon roof.

[Illustration: MARVIN TAKING AN OBSERVATION IN A SNOW SHELTER]

Marvin, then lying full length upon his face, with his head to the south
and both elbows resting upon the