310 



THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



glass see the gulls sitting on the cliffs. Light showers this 

 evening, with the ice churning in every direction. Sound- 

 ings to-day in thirteen fathoms; murres and guillemots were 

 much more numerous, being often seen with food in their 

 beaks flying toward the shore. A good deal of fog prevailed 

 at this time. 



On Friday, July 29th, after dinner, the fog suddenly lifted, 

 disclosing the high cliffs of the land close at hand. This is 



ANNEXATION OF BENNETT ISLAND. 



a magnificent, though desolate, land of rushing torrents, 

 glaciers and huge, impregnable, rocky fastnesses. After 

 lively work we reached grounded ice near the southeast part 

 of the island. Here were high basaltic crags of indescrib- 

 able grandeur. The birds at this place were in great num- 

 bers, the rocks being whitened with their manure. They 

 were coming and going all the time, day and night, cackling, 

 chattering and laughing like parrots. With all this was a 

 buzzing sound, as if from an enormous swarm of bees. 



