THE COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITIOX. 27 



see something of the Polaris or her people, but in this we were 

 not gratified. 



" The wind continued hauling to the westward, soon reduc- 

 ing the S. E. swell, and creating a swell from the N. W. 

 Before this we went along at a good rate, the weather clearing 

 gradually, the ice-pack disappearing astern. 



" Sunday, August 10th, opened clear and pleasant, so con- 

 tinuing till past meridian. For the first time since leaving 

 the ship I succeeded in getting observations, and established 

 the boat's position at noon, in lat, 74° 45' N., long. 59° 37' W., 

 having run nearly one hundred and fifty miles during the pre- 

 ceding twenty-four hours. 



" At one P. M. sighted the Devil's Thumb, bearing true N. E. 

 by N., distant about sixty miles, verifying our position at noon 

 with tolerable accuracy. The weather here became cloudy 

 and squally from W. S. W., with snow, hail, and rain. Wind 

 shifting again at four o'clock to S. W., with moderate sea, and 

 so continuing till nine P. M., from which time to midnight we 

 had light, variable airs. 



" Monday, August 11th, opened clear and pleasant with 

 freshening breezes from N. E. At four A. M. sighted land on 

 port bow, which I recognized as Cape Shackelton, and at 5.30 

 A. M. sighted the Duck Islands on port beam. This da}?^ and 

 the day previous we had considerable trouble with our fires. 

 Knowing that we were short of fuel, we economized as much 

 as possible, and were sometimes rewarded by the engine stop- 

 ping itself for want of steam. 



" At noon got our latitude by meridian altitude of the sun 

 to be 73° 38' N., or on the parallel of the Horse's Head, which 

 now showed itself on our port beam. We then headed in for 

 Brown Island off Tessi-Ussak, favored with a fine breeze from 

 N. N. W., with long swell, which led me to think that the 

 weather had been unsettled after our departure from Cape 

 York. At midnight we were inside of Brown Island, heading 

 in for Tessi-Ussak. 



" At one A. M. Tuesdaj^ August 12th, sighted Jensen's 

 house, and discovered a steamer apparently at anchor in the 

 harbor. She immediately thereafter steamed out toward us, 



