DRIFTING IN ICE OFF HERALD ISLAND. 135 



heeled over to starboard 5*^. Our floe suffers no jar 

 even, and immediately around the ship the conditions 

 of ice do not change, except as snow-falls level all the 

 projecting surfaces. 



An occasional gull is all that we see, and each day 

 the number seen diminishes. Occasionally a seal ap- 

 pears in an open pool, and is fired at without success. 

 According to Alexey, a seal hit in a bone will sink or 

 die under the ice, — an explanation for several hits 

 failing to secure the seals struck. The experiment for 

 carbonic acid on the berth deck since the boring of the 

 auger holes in the door and the moving of the berth 

 deck stove show an improvement. Last night's figures 

 give 1.8012 volumes of carbonic acid per one thousand 

 volumes of air, or .18012 per cent. 



September 25th, Thursday. — At 1.50 a. m. a very 

 curious electric phenomenon was observed. A ball of 

 electric light formed about one quarter mile from the 

 ship on the surface of the floe (in size about that of " a 

 barrel," according to Mr. Dunbar), throwing out rays in 

 all directions, and slowdy rose and worked away from 

 the ship, decreasing in size and brilliancy. When al- 

 most extinct it advanced again, increasing in brilliancy, 

 and, descending to the floe, disappeared. This oc- 

 curred twice in seven minutes. The appearance of the 

 electric ball was preceded by a fine aurora. Unfortu- 

 nately Mr. Dunbar, who had the watch, did not call me 

 to see this extraordinary occurrence. Mr. Collins was 

 called, but before he came on deck the display was 

 over. The foregoing is made from Mr. Dunbar's de- 

 scription. 



At 5.40 p. M. land is sighted bearing S. by W. and ^ 

 W. true ; and although mirage has distorted its outline 

 into an unknown and unrecognized shape, I am quite 



