FAST m THE ICE. 173 



temperatures and anemometer, and stood on the hill a 

 few moments regarding a beautiful auroral arch extend- 

 ing from E. by S. to W. by N., the crown being 70° in 

 elevation and bearing north. Hearing a few little crack- 

 les, like a dog walking over snow, I looked around to 

 see which dog had followed me, when I descried two 

 men running over the gangway and racing for the 

 stem. I ran there at once, and to my amazement saw 

 the ice float away to the northward along our whole 

 length, leaving nothing but water on our port side. In 

 twenty minutes we had one hundred and fifty feet 

 width water on our port side, — the split occurring in 

 as neat a line with the keel as if the keel had cut it, 

 the ship remaining fast to the floe along her star- 

 board side, not even a crack being made in her snow 

 wall. The whole port side, snow wall intact, just slid 

 away without noise or excitement. Four of our dogs 

 which lay asleep on the floe were not awakened by the 

 movement until the ice was nearly one hundred feet 

 away, and then they could not get back, our hands 

 being too full in getting our things aboard to send for 

 them. 



The meteorological instruments were once more hur- 

 riedly gotten on board ; the dogs, except Tom and his 

 three companions, collected and penned on the quarter 

 deck; both dingys got up on the roof of the deck- 

 house, the steam-cutter dug out of the ice and placed 

 on the roof likewise, the tripods taken in, all boats 

 cleared away ready for lowering, the port after clew of 

 the quarter deck awning triced up ready for passing 

 out provisions, etc. ; and by midnight nothing belong- 

 ing to the ship remained outside of her. 



S. W. winds until eleven p. m., when calm. Barom- 

 eter rises from 29-74 to 29.82. Highest temperature 



