264 Chapter VI. 



men are all terrified, slip about on tiptoe, and talk in 

 the lowest possible whispers. But presently one begins 

 to hammer at something on deck, and another to file 

 in the engine-room, when the chiefs commanding voice 

 is at once heard, ordering silence. These examinations 

 are made by means of a telephone, through which a 

 very faint noise is heard, which dies slowly away ; the 

 moment at which it stops must be exactly ascertained. 



" I find remarkably little salt all the way to the bottom 

 in the water here ; it must be mixed with fresh water 

 from the Siberian river. 



There was some pressure this morning, going on till 

 nearly noon, and we heard the noise of it in several 

 directions. In the; afternoon the ice was quite slack, 

 with a large opening alongside the port side of the ship. 

 At half-past seven pretty strong pressure began, the ice 

 crashing and grinding along the ship's side. About 

 midnight the roar of packing was heard to the south. 



''Saturday, November iith. There has been some 

 pressure in the course of the day. The newly-formed 

 ice is about 15 inches thick. It is hard on the top, 

 but looser and porous below. This particular piece of 

 ice began to form upon a large opening in the night 

 between the 27th and 28th October, so it has frozen 

 15 inches in 15 days. I observed that it froze 3 inches 

 the first night, and 5 inches altogether during the three 

 first nights ; so that it has taken 1 2 days to the last 

 10 inches.' 



