116 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



and worked ahead through thin, new ice, and between 

 detached pieces of floe. At four we anchored again to a 

 floe, and banked fires. Our sides, on the doubHng, are 

 scraped bright, and scratched and cut to some extent, 

 but they are the scars of honorable wounds received in 

 action wdth the ice. 



Sei^temher Qth, Saturday. — This is a glorious country 

 to learn patience in. I am hoping and praying to be 

 able to get the ship into Herald Island to make winter 

 quarters. As far as the eye can range is ice, and not 

 only does it look as if it had never broken up and be- 

 come welter, but it also looks as if it never would. Yes- 

 terday I hoped that to-day w^ould make an opening for 

 us into the land ; to-day I hope that to-morrow will do 

 it. I suppose a gale of wind would break the pack up, 

 but then the pack might break us up, and that is not 

 to be desired. This morning shows some pools of thin 

 ice and water, but as they are disconnected, and we 

 cannot jump the ship over obstructions, they are of no 

 use yet to us. A thick fog hangs over everything, even 

 the island. A light northerly wind with a steady barom- 

 eter, and a temperature ranging between 23° and 32°. 



At one p. M. the fog lifted, and we saw a chance of 

 making about a mile toward the island. Spread fires 

 again and commenced forcing our way, ramming wher- 

 ever we were opposed, and with good effect. Of course, 

 ramming a ship through ice from ten to fifteen feet 

 thick was impossible, but wherever a crack or narrow 

 opening showed between two floes, even of that thick- 

 ness, we could by judicious ramming, and backing and 

 ramming again, shove them apart enough to squeeze 

 through. Our steam-winch did good service, for we 

 could easily snub the ship's head into a weak place when 

 we did not have room to turn her with the helm. At 



