A few icebergs we knew were on either side of us, but fortunately the channel was open directly to the north.

But would it remain so?
In front of us, girding the horizon from left to right, was a vaporish fog or mist, black as Egyptian night at the water's edge, and white like a steam-cloud toward the top, which was finally lost to view as it blended with the great white flakes of falling snow.

Whether it covered a treacherous iceberg, or some other hidden obstacle against which our little sloop would dash and send us to a watery grave, or was merely the phenomenon of an Arctic fog, there was no way to determine.( 10) (10 On page 284 of his works, Hall writes: "From the top of Providence Berg, a dark fog was seen to the north, indicating water.

At 10 a.

m.
three of the men (Kruger, Nindemann and Hobby) went to Cape Lupton to ascertain if possible the extent of the open water.