pied me a good deal, and during my daily
expeditions--partly on snow-shoes, partly with dogs--my attention
was constantly given to the condition of the ice and our prospects
of being able to make our way over it. During April it was specially
well adapted for using dogs. The surface was good, as the sun's power
had made it smoother than the heavy drift-snow earlier in the winter;
besides, the wind had covered the pressure-ridges pretty evenly,
and there were not many crevasses or channels in the ice, so that
one could proceed for miles without much trouble from them. In May,
however, a change set in. So early as May 8th the wind had broken up
the ice a good deal, and now there were lanes in all directions, which
proved a great obstacle when I went out driving with the dogs. The
temperature, however, was still so low that the channels were quickly
frozen over again and became passable; but later on in the month the
temperature rose, so that ice was no longer so readily formed on the
water, and the channels became ever more and more numerous.

On May 20th I write: "Went out on snow-shoes in the forenoon. The
ice has been very much broken up in various directions, owing to
the continual winds during the last week. The lanes are difficult
to cross over, as they are full of small pieces of ice, that lie
dispersed about, and are partly covered with drift-snow. This is very
deceptive, for one may seem to have firm ice under one at places where,
on sticking one's staff in, it goes right down without any sign of
ice." On many occasions I nearly got into trouble in crossing over
snow like this on snow-shoes. I would suddenly find that the snow
was giving way under me, and would manage with no little difficulty
to get safely back on to the firm ice.

On June 5th the ice and the snow surface were about as before. I
write: "Have just been out on a snow-shoe excursion with Sverdrup
in a southerly direction, the first for a long while. The condition
of the ice has altered, but not for the better; the surface, indeed,
is hard and good, but the pressure-ridges are very awkward, and there
are crevasses and hummocks in all directions. A sledge expedition
would make poor enough progress on such ice as this."

Hitherto, however, progress had always been possible, but now the
snow began to melt, and placed almost insuperable difficulties in the
way. On June 13th I write: "The ice gets softer and softer every day,
and large pools of water