In some places the floes were level, swept free of snow in large patches, and beautifully blue. One bit of season’s ice and two or three narrow leads, or rather cracks, were crossed. I was not surprised at the end of six hours to come upon Henson in camp with his party. “Too thick to travel,” and all more or less worried at being so far away, the hard travelling, etc. I set my men building an igloo, and hoped the sun would clear away the thick weather as it had the day before, and give a chance to start soon. While building my igloo a crack opened with a loud noise nearly all round our place, greatly disturbing Sipsu’s sensitive nerves. Later thick snow came on with the increasing wind. Through carelessness I frosted my entire left cheek during the march and this I anticipated would cause me some annoyance as it was in my heavy beard. After the igloo was built my men overhauled and repaired their sledges thoroughly. All night the wind and snow continued from the west, and during the night (probably with the turn of the tide) the cracks closed up with a good deal of noise, ending with two severe bumps as our floe came to a bearing all around. In the morning another movement began. Henson’s igloo which was a little nearer the rafter than mine, was shattered, and his men built another in the centre of the floe and moved there. The spring tides of the April full moon were running now, and with the wind would probably open the “Hudson River” again. Marvin, however, and I hoped Clark, should be well over by this time with their supplies, and out on the road. I hoped this storm would clear the condensation out of the air, and give us another spell of fine weather in which we might accomplish something. The ten days’ delay of Henson’s party, and seven of mine, in fine weather, had been a terrible set-back. Without that we should have been beyond Abruzzi’s highest now. As it was I was two degrees ahead of four years ago, when I left Cape Hecla. The wind and snow continued all night of the 6th and the forenoon of the 7th, then the sun broke through and showed that it was no longer snowing, though the wind continued unabated accompanied by a furious and blinding drift. On this date Nansen reached his highest, and but for the accursed lead, I should now have been ahead of him. As it was I was behind him and stalled again. Came on thick again during the night and continued blowing and drifting without abatement. It seemed as if it _must_ clear off some time, but as yet there were no signs of it.