Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/388

 My purpose now was to make the best push I could, and, traveling as far as my provisions warranted, reach the highest attainable latitude and secure such a point of observation as would enable me to form a definite opinion respecting the sea before me, and the prospects of reaching and navigating it with a boat or with the schooner. I had already reached a position somewhat to the northward of that attained by Morton, of Dr. Kane's expedition, in June, 1854, and was looking out upon the same sea from a point probably about sixty miles to the northward and westward of Cape Constitution, where, only a month later in the season, his further progress was arrested by open water.

It only remained for me now to extend the survey as far to the north as possible. By the judicious husbanding of my resources I had still within my hands ample means to guarantee a successful termination to a journey which the increasing darkness and extent of the water-sky to the northeast seemed to warn me was approaching its climax.

Our first day's journey was not particularly encouraging. The ice in the bay was rough and the snow deep, and, after nine hours of laborious work, we were compelled to halt for rest, having made, since setting out, not more than as many miles. Our progress had been much retarded by a dense fog which settled over us soon after starting, and which, by preventing us from seeing thirty yards on either side, interfered with the selection of a track; and we were, in consequence, forced to pursue our course by compass.

The fog clearing up by the time we had become rested, and the land being soon reached, we pursued