FAST IN THE ICE. 177 



pressure, which increased our heel to starboard to 6°, 

 we have a day of no uneasiness. That is to say, we are 

 not momentarily expecting to be turned away from our 

 floe and sent grinding along with a stream of drifting 

 floe lumps, or looking for a breaking in of our side 

 by immense pressure. But as I cannot help realizing 

 that we are in an exposed and dangerous position, and 

 that either of the foregoing catastrophes may occur at 

 any moment, I cannot be said to enjoy quiet or peace 

 of mind. Sleeping with all my clothes on, and starting 

 up anxiously at every snap or crack in the ice outside 

 or the ship's frame inside, most effectually prevents my 

 getting a proper kind or amount of rest, and yet I do 

 not see anything else in store for me for some time to 

 come. This pack is likely to have some motion all 

 winter I suppose. So long as there may be water down 

 by Behring Strait there will be space for relieving the 

 pressure. But when the outlets close up and pressure 

 continues, whether by wind or tidal action, the hump- 

 ing and piling up will go on around us and keep us in a 

 constant state of turmoil for months to come. Truly this 

 is no pleasant predicament. Wintering in the pack may 

 be a thrilling thing to read about alongside a warm fire 

 in a comfortable home, but the actual thing is sufficient 

 to make any man prematurely old. Since we have be- 

 come surrounded by ice again, and could hardly move 

 very far or very fast, I have allowed the dogs to remain 

 on the floe again to our mutual satisfaction. Though 

 a few luxurious ones prefer seeking the shelter of the 

 ship, the majority prefer living in the open air ; hence 

 our attempt to bring them on board only resulted in 

 a series of fights and violent attempts to break away 

 again. Once on board it would take four men to keep 

 one dog from breaking for the ice, and there have been 



