THE COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION. 21 



complish something under sail should the fog lift or a chance 

 present itself of getting open water to the northward. Accord- 

 ingly, in the morning of Thursday, August 7th, we let the fire 

 die out. The thermometer was at this time at 38°, but we 

 suffered no additional inconvenience on that account. 



" During the forenoon it promised several times to clear up, 

 the sun showing itself occasionally for a few moments, but 

 with little or no effect on the fog. Becoming tired of inaction 

 we slipped from the ice at 9.45 A. m., and making sail stood to 

 N. W. (true) with a light S. E. wind and swell. 



" At noon I determined the position of the boat to be in lat. 

 75° 52' N., long. 64° 05' W. by our dead reckoning, and the 

 last bearing we had of the land in the neighborhood of the 

 Peaked Hill. At four P. m. came in sight of the ice-pack 

 again, and immediately liauled the boat up to W. N. W. (true). 

 Discovering a lead in the pack to the northward and westward, 

 stood into it for about five miles until Mr. Dodge pronounced 

 it a false lead, the ice closing in ahead, four feet thick, some 

 of last year's ice, and some older. Brought by the wind and 

 beat out of the lead. At eight the wind freshened from S. S. E. 

 and we commenced to work to the westward, as much as possi- 

 ble keeping clear of the ice. At midnight hauled alongside of 

 an iceberg to fill up with fresh- water ice for drinking and cook- 

 ing. Moderate sea.^ 



" At 1.30 A. M. Friday, August 8th, sighted high land, bear- 

 ing N. W. by N. (true), and trending away to the northward 

 in an apparently low neck. This Mr. Dodge pronounced our 

 anxiously looked for Cape York, and at 2.30 A. M., having 

 worked clear of detached pieces of floe ice, stood in toward the 

 land, Avhich we calculated to be about eight miles distant. At 

 three o'clock A. M. the fog shut in again thick and we lost sight 

 of Cape York. At the same time the wind freshened to a gale 



^ It was while thus employed that Mr. Dodge, the ice-pilot, noticed a 

 crack in the bei-g, and mentioned the fact to Lieutenant De Long. The 

 order was at once given to shove off, and the Little Juniata had scarcely- 

 reached a safe distance, when, with a loud report, the iceberg was rent in 

 pieces. The launch was tossed and tumbled by the waves caused by the 

 commotion, but otherwise escaped unharmed. 



