tterly fatigued and exhausted we were. It took us over an
hour and a half to build our igloos. We had a hard time finding suitable
snow conditions for building them, and the weather was frightfully cold.
The evening meal of pemmican-stew and tea was prepared, the dogs were
fed, and we turned in.

March 23: Our sleep-banked eyes were opened by the excitement caused by
the arrival of Marvin and his division. He reported the same good going
that we had had the day before, and also that he had taken an elevation
of the sun and computed his latitude as 85 deg. 46' north. We turned the
igloos over to Marvin and his Esquimos, who were to await the arrival of
the Commander, and Captain Bartlett and myself got our parties under
way.

Conditions are never similar, no two days are the same; and our going
this day was nothing like the paradise of the day before. At a little
distance from the igloos we encountered high masses of heavily-rubbled,
old ice. The making of a trail through these masses of ice caused us to
use our pickaxes continuously. It was backing and filling all of the
time. First we would reconnoiter, then we would hew our way and make
the trail, then we would go back and, getting in the traces, help the
dogs pull the sledges, which were still heavily loaded. This operation
was repeated practically all the day of March 23, except for the last
hour of traveling, when we zigzagged to the eastward, where the ice
appeared less formidable, consisting of small floes with rubble ice
between and a heavy, old floe beyond. There we camped. The latitude was
85 deg. 46' north.

The course from the land to the Pole was not direct and due north, for
we followed the lines of least resistance, and frequently found
ourselves going due east or west, in order to detour around pressure
ridges, floebergs, and leads.

March 24: Commander Peary reached camp shortly after six A. M., and
after a few brief instructions, we started out. The going not as heavy
as the day previous; but the sky overcast, and a heavy drift on the
surface made it decidedly unpleasant for the dogs. For the first six
hours the going was over rough, jagged ice, covered with deep, soft
snow; for the rest of the day it improved. We encountered comparatively
level ice, with a few hummocks, and in places covered with deep snow. We
camped at eight P. M., beside a very heavy pressure-ridge as long as a
city street and as high as the houses along the street.

March 25: