160 TROUBLES OF EXPLORER 



it is, E. or W. It has been so cloudy that we cannot select a star to go by; 

 some think it is the E. land; for my part, I think it is the W. Boiled some 

 seal-skin to-day and ate it — blubber, hair and tough skin. The men ate 

 it ; I could not. The hair is too thick, and we have no means of getting it off. 



"December 5. — Light wind; a little thick; 15° below zero. A fox came 

 too near to-day ; Bill Lindemann shot him ; skinned and cut him up for cook- 

 ing. Fox in this country is all hair and hair. 



"December 6. — Very light wind; cold and clear. The poor fox was de- 

 voured to-day by seven of the men, who liked it; they had a mouthful each 

 for their share ; I did not think it worth while, myself, to commence with so 

 small an allowance, so I did not try Mr. Fox. Last night fine northern lights. 



"December 8. — All in good health. The only thing that troubles us is 

 hunger — that is very severe; we feel sometimes as though we could eat each 

 other. Very weak, but, please God, we will weather it all. 



"December 13. — Light wind; cloudy; 19° below zero. Hans caught a 

 small white fox in a trap yesterday. The nights are brilliant, cold and clear. 

 The scene is charming, if we were only in a position to appreciate it. 



"December 20. — Light wind; cloudy. Joe found a crack yesterday and 

 three seals. Too dark to shoot. It is a good thing to have game underneath 

 us. It would be much better to have them on the floe for starving men. 



"December 22. — Calm and clear as a bell; the best twilight we have seen 

 for a month. It must have been cloudy or we are drifting south fast. Ouf 

 spirits are up, but the body is weak ; 15° below zero." 



They began now to count the days until they could expect the sun to 



shine forth, with how much joy we can partially imagine, when we recollect 



that for nearly three months he had hidden his glorious face, and they had 



•been groping in the darkness of an Arctic winter. Herron tells of their 



Christmas : 



December 24. — Christmas Eve. We are longing for to-morrow, when we 

 shall have quite a feast — half pound of raw ham, which we have been saving 

 nearly a month for Christmas. A month ago our ham gave out, so we saved 

 this for the feast. Yesterday, 9 degrees befow zero ; to-day, 4 degrees above 

 zero. 



"December 25. — This is a day of jubilee at home, and certainly here for 

 us; for besides the approaching daylight, which we feel thankful to God for 

 sparing us to see, we have quite a feast to-day — one ounce of bread extra per 

 man, which made our soup for breakfast a little thicker than for dinner. We 



