62 ELISHA KENT KANE. 



gress *<f our parties in the spring; but the ice wag 

 still found to be detached from the shore, and a 

 narrow lane of water cut us from it. 



"During the interval of comparative quiet, prelimi- 

 nary measures were taken for heating the Advance 

 and increasing her quarters so as to accommodate 

 the officers and crews of both vessels. No stoves 

 had as yet been used in either vessel : indeed, they 

 could not well be put up without placing a large 

 quantity of stores and fuel upon the ice. The at- 

 tempt was made to do this ; but a sudden crack in 

 the floe where it appeared strongest, causing the 

 loss of several tons of coal, convinced us that it was 

 not yet safe to do so. It was not until the 20th of 

 October we got fires below. Ten days later the 

 housing-cloth was put over, and the officers and 

 crew of the Rescue ordered on board the Advance 

 for the winter. Room was found on the deck of the 

 Rescue for many of the provisions removed from 

 the hold of this vessel. Still, a large quantity had 

 to be placed on the ice. The absence of fire below 

 had caused much discomfort to all hands ever since 

 the beginning of September, not so much from the 

 low temperature as from the accumulation of 

 moisture by condensation, which congealed as the 

 temperature decreased, and covered the wood-work 

 of our apartments with ice. This state of things soon 



