Beyond this the coast-line was so irregular that a detour was made, and Jack decided that the party preceding them had done the same.
They regained the coast, not wishing to go too far into the interior, but found it more difficult of traversing as they progressed.
One day the boys discovered [several seals disporting themselves on the ice], and an hour was devoted to attempting a capture, but without effect.
Finally the rocky character of the coast became uniform, and they found they could not keep to the shore and take the sled with them.
Jack decided to leave the ocean and make a venture of crossing the plains lying back from the sea, at least for a day or two, to see if some new traces of the Albatross party might not be found.
They found the temperature considerably lower as they progressed to the interior, and the second day of their journey was so cold that they made a snow hut and did not travel at all that day.
The days, too, were becoming much shorter, and when there was little sunlight seemed to merge into a hazy twilight early in the afternoon.
For two weeks they continued on their way, meeting with no traces of previous occupancy of the vicinity.