two we reached a floe which appeared at first a level and large one; but, on landing, we were much mortified to find it so covered with immense ponds, or, rather, small lakes of fresh water, that, to accomplish two miles in a north direction, we were under the necessity of walking from three to four, the water being too deep for wading, and from two hundred yards to one third of a mile in length.  We halted at six A.M., having made only one mile and three quarters in a N.N.W. direction, the wind still blowing fresh from the eastward, with a thick fog.  We were in latitude 82 deg. 3’ 19”, and longitude, by chronometers, 23 deg. 17’ E., and we found the variation of the magnetic needle to be 13 deg. 41’ westerly.  We moved again at seven P.M., with the weather nearly as foggy as before, our road lying across a very hummocky floe, on which we had considerable difficulty in getting the boats, the ice being extremely unfavourable both for launching and hauling them up.  After stopping an hour at midnight to dine, we were again annoyed by a heavy fall of rain, a phenomenon almost as new to us in these regions until this summer, as it was harassing and unhealthy.  Being anxious, however, to take advantage of a lane of water that seemed to lead northerly, we launched the boats, and by the time that we had crossed it, which gave us only half a mile of northing, the rain had become much harder, and our outer clothes, bread bags, and boats were thoroughly wet.  After this we had better travelling on the ice, and also crossed one or two larger holes of water than we had met with for a long time, and halted for our night’s rest at half past seven A.M., after nearly twelve hours’ hard, but not altogether unsuccessful labour, having traversed about twelve miles, and made good by our account, seven and a half, in a N.W.b.N. direction.  The rain ceased soon after we had halted, but was succeeded, by a thick, wet fog, which obliged us, when we continued our journey, to put on our travelling clothes in the same dripping state as when we took them off.  The wind continued fresh from the southeastward, and at nine P.M. the weather suddenly cleared up, and gave us once more the inconceivably cheering, I had almost said the blessed, sight of a blue sky, with hard, well-defined white clouds floating across it.  We halted at six A.M., after making, by our day’s exertions, only three miles and a half of northing, our latitude at this time being 82 deg. 14’ 28”, and our longitude, by chronometers, 22 deg. 4’ E. The thermometer was from 35 deg. to 36 deg. in the shade during most of the day, and this, with a clear sky over head, was now absolute luxury to us.  Setting out again at seven P.M., we crossed a small lane of water to another floe; but this was so intersected by ponds, and by streams running into the sea, that we had to make a very circuitous route, some of the ponds being half-a mile in length.  Notwithstanding the immense quantity of water still upon the ice, and