152 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



to Chief Engineer Melville, keeping the last half my- 

 self. 



October 9th, Thursday. — The day opened with the 

 continuation of the easterly blow of yesterday, and 



gradually tapered off to a light air, when at noon a 

 shift to W. by S. (true) occurred, and a piping up of 

 another gale, which settled finally in W. S. W. Highest 

 temperature (with easterly wind) 31°, lowest tempera- 

 ture (falling with westerly wind) 62° at midnight. Here 

 is a curious fact : The weather until ten p. m. was snowy, 

 and at that hour it ceased to snow, the stars came out, 

 and at midnight both moon and stars were visible. 

 Sounded at noon in 231 fathoms blue mud, and the 

 line showed we were drifting rapidly to the eastward 

 before the westerly gale. 



October 10th, Fridai/. — The curious fact of tem- 

 perature recorded yesterday is repeated to-day. The 

 temperature falls to 5^° with S. W. by W. wind, and 

 promptly rises to 30° with S. E. wind. The harder the 

 blow the higher the temperature. 



October 11th, Saturday. — A stormy day with a 

 southeasterly gale. At midnight light airs came up 

 from the northward, and a faint radial display of the 



