While we were engaged in this business we saw a seal disporting himself in the open water of the lead.
At the end of the next march, which was about fifteen miles, and which put us across the 86th parallel, we reached Bartlett's next camp, where we found Henson and his party in their igloo.

I got them out and under way at once, sending by one of them a brief note of encouragement to Bartlett, telling him that his last camp was beyond 86 deg., that he would probably sleep that night beyond the Norwegian record, and urging him to speed us up for all he was worth.
In this march there was some pretty heavy going.

Part of the way was over small old floes, which had been broken up by many seasons of unceasing conflict with the winds and tides.

Enclosing these more or less level floes were heavy pressure ridges over which we and the dogs were obliged to climb.

Often the driver of a heavily loaded sledge would be forced to lift it by main strength over some obstruction.