W. The weather soon after became very thick,
with continued snow, requiring great care in looking out for the ice,
which made its appearance after two hours' run, and gradually became
closer, till at length we were stopped by it at noon, and obliged to
haul the boats upon a small floe-piece, our latitude by observation
being 81 deg. 12' 51".
Our plan of travelling being nearly the same throughout this excursion,
after we first entered upon the ice, I may at once give some account of
our usual mode of proceeding. It was my intention to travel wholly at
night, and to rest by day, there being, of course, constant daylight in
these regions during the summer season. The advantages of this plan,
which was occasionally deranged by circumstances, consisted, first, in
our avoiding the intense and oppressive glare from the snow during the
time of the sun's greatest altitude, so as to prevent, in some degree,
the painful inflammation in the eyes called "snow blindness," which is
common in all snowy countries. We also thus enjoyed greater warmth
during the hours of rest, and had a better chance of drying our clothes;
besides which, no small advantage was derived from the snow being harder
at night for travelling. The only disadvantage of this plan was, that
the fogs were somewhat more thick by night than by day, though even in
this respect there was less difference than might have been supposed,
the temperature during the twenty-four hours undergoing but little
variation.
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