IMUFTING. 177 



The month of October was quiet. We had had no equi- 

 noctial gales even in September. The cold was very bitter. 

 Wrangel Land was in plain sight tu south and west many 

 times, and especially on the 28th and 29tli of October, when 

 we could see mountains and glaciers, whieli we identified on 

 many occasions. Collins took sketches of them. The ship 

 was drifting to and fro with the wind. Up to this time we 

 saw a considerable number of seals and walrus, and got two 

 bears. Two white whales were also seen, which were the 

 only ones noticed during the whole cruise. Life on board 

 was quiet but monotonous. We got many observations, es- 

 pecially from the stars. The nights were very clear, and 

 suitable for artificial horizon work. 



We began to find at this time, and by later experience be- 

 came convinced, that Rear-Admiral John Rodgers was right 

 when he said that the sextant, artificial horizon, and the lead 

 were the most efficient and useful instruments in exploring 

 Arctic waters, and that transits and zenith telescopes were not 

 useful, because refined observations could not be obtained, 

 and were not necessary in this region. The cold is so great 

 as to affect the instrument, and it is almost impossible to 

 keep the lens free of frost and vapor, thus making the re- 

 fraction a very indefinite correction. Our experience in this 

 pack was, that the state of the atmosphere was constantly 

 changing; without a moment's notice the ice would sometimes 

 open near the ship, and vast columns of vapor would rise 

 whenever the difference of temperature between the air and 

 water was great. The surface water was generally 29 Fah- 

 renheit, the freezing point of salt water. 



About the 6th of November the ice began to break up. 

 We had previously observed considerable agitation about the 

 full and change of the moon, and attributed it to tidal action. 

 This was observed particularly when we were between Her- 

 ald Island and Wrangel Land, and when the water was 

 shoaled that is, about fifteen fathoms the ice began to 

 break round the ship, and a regular stream of broken 

 masses gradually encroached upon us. From aloft, the floe 



