LAST DAYS AT SHERIDAN 331 



4th of July as we observed it would have pleased the 

 advocates of "a quiet Fourth. " What with the recent 

 death of Marvin and the fact that the day was Sunday, 

 nothing out of the ordinary routine was done except 

 to dress the ship with flags, and there was scarcely 

 enough wind even to display our bunting. Three 

 years ago that very day the Roosevelt got away from 

 her winter quarters at almost the same spot in a 

 strong southerly gale; but the experience on that 

 occasion convinced me that it would be best to hang 

 on in our present position just as late in July as possi- 

 ble, and thus give the ice in Robeson and Kennedy 

 Channels more time to break up. 



It almost seemed as if the Roosevelt shared with us 

 our anticipation of a speedy return, for she continued 

 gradually to regain an even keel, and within four or 

 five days she had automatically completed this opera- 

 tion. On the 8th we put out the eight-inch hawser and 

 made the ship fast, bow and stern, in order to hold her in 

 position in case she should be subjected to any pressure 

 before we were ready to depart. On the same day 

 we began in real earnest to make ready for the home- 

 ward departure. The work began with the taking 

 on of coal, which, it will be remembered, had been 

 transferred to shore along with quantities of other 

 supplies when we went into winter quarters, in order 

 to make provisions against the loss of the ship by 

 fire, or ice pressure, or what not, in the course of the 

 winter. The process of getting the ship ready for her 

 homeward voyage does not require detailed description. 

 Suffice it to say that it furnished the entire party with 

 hard work and plenty of it for fully ten days. 



