300 THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



Without companionship of our friend Nelse ? 



Or sent along with us, well some one else ? 

 We ne'er had known stout Iverson's bluff face 

 A man above most others ; you can put your 

 Last dollar on him as an Arctic butcher. 



Another thought it's contemplation hurts, 



What would we do, boys, if we hadn't Gortz ? 



Our drink would lose all taste, our meat all relish ; 

 Our laughter would be silent, and our bones 

 Would give occasion for a thousand groans ; 



In fact, the situation would be hellish. 



But luck stood by us ; Gortz is here, and willing 



Even to fetch water up when Lee's distilling. 



And now before I lose all power of speech, 



Oh let me say a little about Leach, 



Whose very smile would make sour apples mellow, 



And raise sweet blossoms on a topsail yard ; 



But ah, kind friends, keep still, be on your guard. 

 A giant form I see who is that fellow ? 

 Gracious ! I thought it was some monster foreign, 

 But really 'tis our messmate, gallant Warren. 



Before belaying, just a look to leeward 



Reveals the constellation, cook and steward ; 



And yet another peep along our decks. See ! 

 That's very like a face I've seen elsewhere, 

 Yes, at St. Michael's, when we anchored there. 



That is our hunter, which his name's Alexai, 



And with him, like a lady loved by many, 



Is our young sylph-like friend, Queen Annie.* 



On the 5th of February the sun was seen, and a most 

 cheering appearance it had. About this time our drift 

 northwest was rapid. The snow had drifted about the ship 

 so much that fifty or sixty yards away but little more than 

 the boat's smoke-stack and spars were to be seen. In my 

 notes I find these items : " Our floe has been much reduced 

 by recent cracks. It looks as if the Jeannette was in her 

 last dock. Some people have said to me there is little dan- 

 ger in the Arctic. They were evidently not posted. A ship 

 in the pack is ' under fire ' all the time." 



* Queen Annie was the nickname for Anequin, the Indian hunter. 



