THE "GLORIOUS FOURTH." 411 



Next time I try them I will arm my boat's crew with 

 lances. The rifle is a poor reliance, and, but for the 

 oars, the herd would have been on top of us at any 

 time. 



July 4th. 



The " glorious Fourth " gives us a sorry greeting — 

 rain and hail and snow are unusual accompaniments 

 to this national holiday. The thermometer has gone 

 down almost to the freezing point ; but, nevertheless, 

 we have fired our salute, and have displayed our bunt- 

 ing, as in duty bound. Thanks to the hunters, we have 

 had a good dinner of venison and birds, winding up 

 with a cochlearia salad ; and if we lacked the oration, 

 we did not the less turn our thoughts to the ever dear 

 land, where all are gay, — all alike forgetting for the 

 time their differences of party creeds and party inter- 

 ests, unite together under the nation's broad banner, 

 to hail the returning dawn of its wonderful career, 

 and to drink bumpers to fraternal union. God bless 

 the day ! 



July 7th. 



I have been up to Littleton Island for three days, 

 watching the ice, hunting, etc. We caught another 

 walrus and had another fight, but this time we had 

 fewer enemies, and drove them off very quickly. 



Littleton and McGary Islands are literally swarm- 

 ing with birds, chiefly eider-ducks and burgomasters. 

 There was no end to the number that could have been 

 shot. The eggs have nearly all chicks in them, but 

 fortunately we have already collected from the islands 

 of the harbor a good supply. I found a flock of brant- 

 geese, but could not discover their nests. The bur- 

 gomaster-gulls are very numerous, but there were no 

 ivory or other gulls, as I had hoped to find. They do 

 not appear to come so far north. 



