THROUGH THE "GREAT NIGHT" 93 



Roosevelt turned it under her like water running into 

 a mill race, and the pressure ceased before any unusually 

 heavy ice came against her. A little later the ice 

 swung completely off-shore again. 



The night of the 6th was a disagreeable anniversary 

 to me. Seven years before I was struggling across Lady 

 Franklin Bay in bitter cold and complete darkness, to 

 bring up finally at Fort Conger with both feet frozen. 



On the 7th a new baby arrived in the Eskimo settle- 

 ment, a girl, quite likely the most northerly bom of 

 all children. On the 9th the air all day w^as full of 

 the groaning, roaring, grinding of the ice, though no 

 pressure came upon the ship. 



This noise and commotion of the ice occurred almost 

 continuously during the month, varying in intensity 

 from time to time and the Roosevelt was subjected to 

 pressures of more or less force. It was a period of 

 constant anxiety with the ice pack surging back and 

 forth along the shore on each tide and liable to crash 

 in upon us at any time. Every one slept in their 

 clothes, all lanterns and portable lights were kept 

 filled and trimmed ready for immediate use, and pro- 

 vision was made for the instant extinguishment of all 

 fires. The welcome twilight of retummg day steadily 

 mcreased, a considerable contingent of the Eskimos 

 from the interior returned to the ship in the January 

 moon bringing letters from Marvin containing the 

 report of more musk-oxen secured. On the 7th of 

 February, with the first light of the February moon, 

 Marvin himself came in with the balance of the 

 Eskimos and dogs and the report of more musk-oxen 

 killed. This closed the winter campaign. 



