COMFORT OF OUR QUARTERS. 159 



ing to sleep her " pretty one." On the opposite side 

 is our butcher-shop, where are piled up a lot of frozen 

 reindeer, awaiting Marcus and Jacob, — the butchers. 

 Near by stands our portable forge and anvil, where 

 McCormick is forever blowing the hot embers and 

 pounding at nobody knows what. Dodge says " he is 

 killing time." Under the window amidships stands 

 the carpenter's bench and the vice, where Christian, 

 Jensen, Peter, and Hans are always tinkering at some 

 hunting or sledge implements, — while, mingling pro- 

 miscuously on the deck, the officers and men may be 

 seen smoking their pipes, and apparently intent only 

 upon as little exertion and as much amusement as the 

 Arctic night will give them. A cheerful light bursts 

 up from below through the hatchways, bringing with 

 it many a cheerful laugh. Around the mainmast 

 stands our gun-rack, and near by is a neat arrange- 

 ment of McCormick's where every man has a peg for 

 his fur coat, as we do not bring these things below, 

 on account of the great change of temperature pro- 

 ducing dampness in them. 



November 2d. 



The barometer, which yesterday sank to 29.58, has 

 been steadily rising since, and stands now at 29.98, 

 giving us thus a reasonable assurance that the gale will 

 come to an end by and by, and let the travelers off. 

 The gale has made wild work with the ice, breaking 

 it up and driving it out to the southwest until the 

 open water is within two miles of the schooner. The 

 " twins " are right upon the margin of it, and, were 

 they not aground, would float away. One of Sonn- 

 tag's base-line stations has drifted off, and the bear- 

 trap has followed after it, carrying away my fine ice- 

 anchor. Strange, the loose ice has all drifted out of 



