Then, taking our precious fragments of cooked meat, we returned to the boat and put off.

We could scarcely tell what to do next, and while debating on this point we fell asleep.

We slept far into the night, then awoke benumbed with cold; then took to the oars till we were weary; then fell asleep again, to be again awakened by the cold and again to pull at the oars.

So the night passed, and another day came.
The snow still held off, but the sky was overcast with dark, leaden-colored clouds, and looked threatening.

Ice was all around us as before; and the open water had diminished now from ten miles to five miles of width.