DRIFTING IN ICE OFF HERALD ISLAND. 125 



the sledge and party. At ten miles from the ship he 

 came to a broad lead, one half mile wide, extending E. 

 and W. as far as eye could reach, with open lanes ex- 

 tendino- in S. E., S., and S. W. directions. Here the 

 ice was different again, showing evidences of severe 

 pressure. The old floes were closer together, and the 

 young ice was broken and forced np into ridges of eight 

 to twelve feet in height. He followed the edge of this 

 lead to the westward a mile or so, when it turned up. to 

 the N. W., with an edge of soft and rotten ice. The 

 ice around Herald Island appeared to be rotten and cut 

 up with leads. The point of view was about fifteen 

 miles from the ship and five miles from the island. 

 The shore was high and rocky, apparently cut in deep 

 ridges, running down the face of nearly perpendicular 

 sides. He saw no place that would offer any protection 

 to a ship. He saw no drift-wood, but sighted many 

 bear-tracks, and one raven, and one young seal which 

 Alexey shot and brought to the ship. There seems to 

 be but one way out of our situation. A heavy gale is 

 wanted to break up this, field of ice we are in, and to 

 give us a chance to make our way toward the land 

 which we saw beyond Herald Island. Failing this we 

 nmst winter in the pack. Herald Island will be of no 

 use to us, even if we could get to it ; but we daily seem 

 to be increasing our distance from it by drifting to the 

 N. W. We must hope for observations to give us our 

 position to determine whether we have actually moved 

 or not. At 10.30 a. m. inspected the ship and held di- 

 vine service. 



September lt>th, Mondcuj. — Mr. Danenhower suc- 

 ceeded to-day in determining our position by observa- 

 tion. We were at noon in latitude 71° 46' N., longitude 

 175° 36' W.j and comparing this position with that of 



