Norwich bulletin., 1909-09-28
lIsls HE n THaN


 indicated open water or very thin ice
 The upper surface of Grant Land was a mere line. but a play Of land clouds over 1t fixed the eyee on the last known rocks or solid earth. In fhis march We felt keenly the piercing turc @ gradually rose to forty-six below in the afternoon, but the chill of the shadows increased with the swing of the suns glitter. N
 A Life sappins Wind.
 It still blew that light. life sapping draught which sealed the eyes and bleached the nose. We had hoped that this would soften with the midday sun, but instead 1t came with a sharp CT edge. Our course was slightly west of north, the wind was slightly north of west; it struck us at a painful an- gle and brought tears. The nnoistened flashes quickly froze together fin wink ing and we were forced to halt fre- quent1y to unseal the eyes with the warmth of the uncovered hand. In the meantime we found the nose tip- ped with a white skin and 1t also re- quired nursing. The entire face was surrounded with Ice. ....
 This experience brought warm lane guage. but there was no redress. If we aimed to succeed the face must be barred to the cut of the elements.
 At about o'clock. as the sun cross ed the west. We had reached a line of high pressure ridges. Beyond the fee was cut into smaller fioes and thrown together into ugly irregularities: an active pack and troubled seas could n t be far away. according to our sur misses. The water sky widened but became less sharply defined.
 We managed to pick a way among hummocks and pressure lines which seemed Impossible from a distance, and In few hours we saw from an unusual uplift of ice blocks broad. dark line separating tho paci1s-a tre- mendous cut several miles wide which seemed at the time to bar all further progress. We had a folding canvas boat On the sLsds. but in a temperature of AS defirees below zero no craft could be lowered Into water without fatal results. All of the ice about was firm ly cemented together and over it & way. was forged to the shore of the great lead.
 Camp Beside the Lead. Camp was made on a secure old field and over it's huge ice cliffs the ] crack seemed like long river winding between palisades of blue crystal. A thin sheet of yeHow ice had already 1 spread over the mysterious deep and
 
 were arranged in punches resemblin- | flowers. Through this young Ice dark vapors rose like steam through a screen of porous fabrics and fell in | feathers of dust along the sparkling shores. Etukhishook went east and I went west to examine the lead for a safe crossing.
 There were several narrow places. while here and there foes had been adrift in the lead and were now fixed | by the young ice. Ahwelah remained | to make our snow house comfortable. In exploring the shore line a par | tially bridgcd pi:tce was found ebout mile from camp: but 'the young ice was too elastic for a safe track. The | temperature. however. fell rapidly with the setting sun. and the wind was just strong enough to sweep of the heated vapors. A better atmospheric condi- | tion could not be afforded to quickly thicken the young ice.
 The groaning Ice and the eagerness | to reach the opposite shores kept us awake for a long time. With the ear resting on the frozen sea the ribra- tions and noises of the moving pack were not unlike those of an earth | quoke.
 Breakfast was served early and soon after we were on the thin ice to test | It's strength. Though the ice was | hardly safe 1t did not seem wise to | wait longer. for the western skies were | darkening with a wind that might de- ] stroy the new ice and compel halt | for a long time. I (The seventh installment of Dr. Cooks l story will be printed in The Bulletin l on Thursday, Sept 30)