INSPECTION OF THE SCHOONER. 377 



from the journey to make, during the first few days, 

 that thorough inspection which was needed to form a 

 correct judgment. I was consoled, however, in some 

 measure for the delay, by realizing the necessity of 

 writing up the occurrences of my return journey, 

 while they were fresh in my mind, and of defining on 

 my chart the observations and geographical discov- 

 eries which I had made. 



These duties performed, and my strength sufficiently 

 restored to justify me in leaving my cabin, I made a 

 careful examination of the schooner and the means 

 which had been adopted for repairing her. These 

 means were altogether unexceptionable, and reflected 

 much credit upon Mr. McCormick and also upon the 

 mate, Mr. Dodge, who had given him zealous assist- 

 ance. 



McCormick had begun by digging the ice away 

 from the bows down to the very keel, thus exposing 

 all the forward part of the vessel as completely as if 

 she lay in a dry-dock. The damage proved to have 

 been even greater than we had anticipated, and it 

 seemed remarkable that the forward planks and tim- 

 bers had not opened to such a degree as to let the 

 water through in torrents and sink us at once. The 

 heads of the planks which were let into the stem 

 were all started ; the outer planking was loose and 

 gaping open ; the iron sheathing of the cut-water and 

 bows w T as torn and curled up as if it had been pine- 

 shavings; the stem-post was started, and the cut- 

 water itself was completely torn away. 



By dint of much earnest exertion and the use of 

 bolts and spikes, — by replacing the torn cut-water, 

 careful calking, and renewal of the iron plates, — it 

 seemed probable that the schooner would be sea- 



