July 23, A fine sunny day

July 23—A fine sunny day, quite warm and the air clear. Ice glistening in all directions. The only problem is the complete contrariness of wind, so we can make no headway. “But you have your steam engines,” I hear you say. Indeed we have, but the decision has been made to save our irreplaceable coal supplies for the tighter work of pushing us through the ice, rather than burning it as we drudge along making precious little headway toward our goal.

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