124 THE VOYAGE OF THE JE ANNETTE. 



rapidly along after Alexey, who runs and dances before 

 them. We are now brought face to face with another 

 difficulty : where are we to get water to use without 

 expending our fuel in distilling ? The ice all around 

 the ship gives water that is unmistakably salt, and our 

 searches thus far cannot succeed in finding; ice suffi- 

 ciently free from salt to be non-injurious to the con- 

 sumers. Even the snow gives evidence of salt to too 

 great a degree for use ; and as we have seen no ice- 

 bergs at all (in fact no one else has seen them north of 

 Behring Strait), we are without any of the fresh water 

 ice met with in Smith's Sound and Baffin's Bay. Tak- 

 ing Dr. Ambler with me, two sleds, and men with axes^ 

 I started off this evening on a search for better ice. 

 About a mile and a half from the ship to the westward 

 we came to a large lump of ice on end on the floe, which, 

 upon being tested by the application of nitrate of silver 

 to a melted portion, shows the presence of from three 

 to five grains of chlorine to a gallon of water. As this is 

 the least objectionable we have found I conclude to use 

 it until we find better, or have rigged some economical 

 apparatus for distilling. Our coal account calls for one 

 hundred and eleven tons, and we must economize so 

 that we shall have enouojh to work with next season. 

 If our consumption is too great this winter, we must 

 work under canvas and do without steam next sum- 

 mer. 



SeiAemher liih, Sunday. — At 8.30 we were pleased 

 at sighting the sled party returning, and at nine we 

 welcomed them on board. Chipp reports to me that 

 when about seven miles from the ship he found much 

 lighter ice than the ice-field we are now in, it being coin- 

 posed of floe pieces cemented together by young ice, in 

 many places just strong enough to bear the weight of 



