FAST IN THE ICE. 155 



I have grave fears about being able to use the deck- 

 house as a living and sleeping place for the crew this 

 winter. I am afraid it will be too damp, and, consider- 

 in o- the amount of fuel I can spare, too cold. We have 

 stoves enough, of course, and fuel enough to keep the 

 ship warm all winter, but my great object is to save fuel, 

 so as to have some to steam a little with next summer, 

 and enough to keep life in us next winter. Accordingly, 

 supposing that the electric light would be a success 

 (which I have no hope of now), I arranged for burning 

 seal and walrus blubber as fuel in the Baxter engine, 

 hoping to get heat from the boiler thereof to warm the 

 deck-house at the same time light was supplied. As Edi- 

 son's generator failed to give electric light, so did the 

 boiler fail to give heat, to any extent. Clothes washed 

 and hung up in the deck-house were as wet as ever, de- 

 spite the sheet-iron jacket which ought to have radiated 

 heat. The deck-house acted as a capital condenser for 

 escaping steam. Failing the electric light, I must give 

 up heat also from this elaborate machine, put up two 

 stoves in the house, and fit drip pans so that blubber can 

 be burned in them. We of the human race eat the seal 

 meat, and the dogs eat the walrus meat, and the blubber 

 is burned. Consequently, there is no waste. 



To insure a proper changing of air on the berth deck 

 I issue an order to-day to clear it daily from 1.30 to 

 4.30 p. M., and open all hatches and doors leading to it. 

 To occupy the men profitably during that time, the 

 watch below is armed with Snyder rifles and turned out 

 to hunt for seal and walrus. 



October 17ih, Fridmj. — Collins' birthday. Bear 

 caught in trap, but escaped, leaving a lock of his hair 

 as a souvenir. Nindemann o;ot a seal, and Aneg;uin added 

 another to our larder. We have now seven seals hano^- 



