The weather cleared in the evening, and a
beautiful crimson sunset held our eyes. At the same time the ice-
cliffs of the land were thrown up in the sky by mirage, with an
apparent reflection in open water, though the land itself could not be
seen definitely. The effect was repeated in an exaggerated form on the
following day, when the ice-cliffs were thrown up above the horizon in
double and treble parallel lines, some inverted. The mirage was due
probably to lanes of open water near the land. The water would be
about 30° warmer than the air and would cause warmed strata to ascend.
A sounding gave 606 fathoms, with a bottom of glacial mud. Six days
later, on the 24th, the depth was 419 fathoms. We were drifting
steadily, and the constant movement, coupled with the appearance of
lanes near the land, convinced me that we must stay by the ship till
she got clear. I had considered the possibility of making a landing
across the ice in the spring, but the hazards of such an undertaking
would be too great.
The training of the dogs in sledge teams was making progress. The
orders used by the drivers were "Mush" (Go on), "Gee" (Right), "Haw"
(Left), and "Whoa" (Stop). These are the words that the Canadian
drivers long ago adopted, borrowing them originally from England. There
were many fights at first, until the dogs learned their positions and
their duties, but as days passed drivers and teams became efficient.
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