172 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



be done. When at 6,25 the advancing wall was twenty- 

 five feet from the stem, the pressure suddenly ceased, 

 and everything was quiet again. At seven the first 

 signs of dawn made their appearance, and as the in- 

 creasing daylight made objects evident to our eyes, it 

 was a startling spectacle to see the confused wreck that 

 had been made of our once smooth floe. The dogs, 

 which had been carefully brought on board at the first 

 warning, were now liberated again to the ice, where 

 they flew around with all the gayety of children let out 

 of school. 



At nine A. m, land was seen on the bearings of Octo- 

 ber 29th, and recognized as our so-called north side of 

 Wrangel Land. I was exceedingly anxious all day, 

 for I counted upon the usual afternoon tidal pressure, 

 which I fully expected would finish the work begun 

 and almost completed this morning. But to my great 

 surprise not a movement occurred, and I again kept 

 my clothes on all night ready for a startling call. 

 Highest temperature minus 11° ; lowest minus 24°. 

 Sounded at noon in eighteen fathoms (blue mud). 



November VMh, Thursday. — Aroused at two a. m. by 

 a loud crack under the ship. Collins, who ran out to 

 examine, reported that he saw no signs of trouble, ex- 

 cept a number of small cracks across the bow, and the 

 fact that the rent leading out from the stem had opened 

 to an inch in width. I concluded this would prove a 

 forerunner to a morning-'s excitement, but ag;ain I was 

 pleasantly disappointed. Not a thing disturbed us for 

 the remainder of the night, and the day wore on, after- 

 noon came, and still no trouble. The meteorological in- 

 struments were put out on a temporary observatory hill 

 near the ship, and I began to hope that we might have a 

 few days' peace. At eleven p. m. I went out to record the 



