Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/170

 sledge was lightly laden with a small canvas tent, two buffalo-skins for bedding, a cooking-lamp, and provisions for eight days. Our personal equipment needs but a brief description. An extra pair of fur stockings, a tin cup, and an iron spoon, per man, was the whole of it.

Our first camp was made at the foot of the glacier. The first camp of a journey anywhere in the world is usually uncomfortable enough, notwithstanding it may perhaps have its bright side; but this one, to my little party, did not appear to have any bright side at all. The temperature was -11°, and we had no other fire than what was needed in our furnace-*lamp for cooking our hash and coffee. I believe no one slept. Our tent was pitched, of necessity, on a sloping hill-side, and on the smoothest bed of stones that we could find. We turned out in the moonlight and went to work.

The next journey carried us to the top of the glacier, and it was a very serious day's business. I have already described, in the last chapter, the rugged character of the gorge through which we were obliged to travel, in order to reach a point where we could scale the glacier. The laden sledge could not be dragged over the rocks and blocks of ice, and the men were therefore compelled to carry our equipments, piece by piece, on their shoulders. Reaching the spot where, with Mr. Sonntag, I had before made an ascent, we prepared to hoist the sledge.

The scenery was here quite picturesque. We were standing in a little triangular valley, with a lake in its centre. At our left rose the great glacier, and at our right a small stream of ice poured through a deep gorge. Before us stood a massive pillar of