216 THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



were always glad to have him at their head. It was wonder- 

 ful how he kept up. 



As soon as the list was clear of sick the hospital tent was 

 dispensed with, and I for many days walked after the whale- 

 boat, but with Melville always watching me in jumping 

 cracks and pulling me out when I fell in. I found it very 

 difficult to judge of distances with one eye bandaged and the 

 other covered with a dark goggle. Collins generally walked 

 with me ; Newcomb and Seaman Star followed other sledges, 

 all of us suspended from work. Besides these the captain, 

 Chipp, Melville, and the doctor added little or nothing to the 

 motive power. Eight persons out of thirty-three, or twenty- 

 five per cent, of the whole were thus, so to speak, not work- 

 ing their passage across the ice. 



In the latter part of June the snow all melted and travel- 

 ing was better, but the men had to wade through pools of 

 thaw-water and their feet were constantly wet. Seaman 

 Kaack's feet were covered with blood-blisters, but he never 

 gave in. Nindermann and Bartlett were always the leading 

 men in dragging the boats, each being stationed at the bow 

 to slew them and to lift them over heavy obstructions. As 

 the roads became better we were able to advance two sleds 

 at a time, but we would often have to jump them from piece 

 to piece in crossing leads. Jack Cole and Harry Warren 

 were the leading men of one party, and Bartlett and Ninder- 

 mann of the other. The number of times passed over the 

 ground was now reduced to seven, and the advance was thus 

 very much facilitated. Mr. Dunbar used to start out, with 

 two or three flags on his shoulder, and pick out the best 

 road, planting his flags here and there in prominent places. 

 The old gentleman was very careful and efficient, though the 

 captain would often take an entirely different road, on 

 several occasions insisting on ferrying the goods across after 

 the ice had come together within fifty yards of us. 



About the 12th of July we saw a 'whale back' that looked 

 very much like a snow-covered island. There had been 

 some slight changes in the course previous to this. I think 



