THE SHIP RELEASED. 199 



Bible to shape a course, and she would be momentarily liable 

 to be crushed by the impact of the antagonistic floe-pieces, 

 which sent immense masses of ice into the air, and among 

 which the Jeannette would be like a glass toy-ship in a rail- 

 road collision. 



About eleven p. M., June 10th, 1 was awakened by the 

 ship's motion. It sounded as if she were sliding clown hill, 

 or off the launching-ways. I was frightened for an instant, 

 but immediately recovered and jumped out of bed for my 

 clothes. The ship had slid off her bed after the ice on the 

 port side had opened with a loud crack. There she floated 

 calmly on the surface of the beautiful blue water. 



The Jeannette was finally released from her icy fetters 

 after an imprisonment of twenty -one months that is, almost 

 the entire duration of our voyage during which time we 

 had been drifting with the pack. The important point of 

 this drift is that we traversed an immense area of ocean, at 

 times gyrating in almost perfect circles, and it can now 

 safely be said that land does not exist in that area. Of 

 course the depth and the character of the ocean-bed and the 

 drift were also determined, as well as the animal life that 

 exists in this part of the world; also the character of the 

 ocean water, and many other facts of interest which were 

 finished with the discovery of the two new islands. 



At this time we had a feeling of pleasure and pride that 

 our voyage had not been entirely in vain, and we felt sure 

 that we could add considerable to the knowledge of this 

 region of the Arctic; and if we could have got out safely 

 without loss of life, the voyage would have been a grand 

 success. Captain DeLong, in my opinion, entered the ice 

 boldly and deliberately, with the intention of trying the most 

 hazardous route to the Pole that has ever been contemplated. 

 When spoken to on the subject, within a few days after we 

 found ourselves imprisoned, I stated that to be my opinion, 

 and that he had undertaken the most daring and magnificent 

 venture on record. 



To return to the Jeannette. She was floating idly, but, 



