FAST IN THE ICE, 185 



Novemher 2Sth, Friday. — Very hard blow from S. E. 

 all day until towards midnight, Avhen it slackened up a 

 bit. At midnight, however, it commenced piping up 

 ^o-ain at S. E. by E., promising another installment of 

 the gale for to-morrow. Stars of the first magnitude 

 were easily seen to-day at one p. m. 



There being no chance of getting snow of proper pu- 

 rity, we got up the Baxter boiler to-day, and, rigging 

 a coil to it, commenced distilling. I am afraid this will 

 be an expensive business in the way of fuel, but it can- 

 not be helped. The snow that we have been able to 

 get for the last two days has been so salty that many 

 of the officers and men are being treated for diarrhoea. 

 This, of course, will never do, and pure water must be 

 obtained at any cost. We are all feeling the lack of 

 exercise very much. The ice is so treacherous that it 

 is unsafe to get on it. The poor dogs also feel the con- 

 finement, and when they are not engaged in a cheerful 

 fight go moping around in a desolate way. They have 

 regular cliques, and occupy certain portions of the quar- 

 ter deck exclusively. Any trespass brings on a fight 

 inevitably. 



Novemher 29th, Saturday. — A day of wearing anx- 

 iety. The gale continued, varying between E. by S. 

 and S. E. At seven a. m. the ice commenced to move, 

 and seemingly to windward, as if the pressure were 

 forced back on itself. As we lay broadside to the 

 movement we had the full force of it on our frame. 

 The ice on our port side (the weather side) seemed 

 tougher and more unyielding than heretofore, and the 

 whole mass made our ship snap and creak with the 

 squeezing worse than ever before. Several times the 

 pressure became so great that the ship ceased to creak, 

 and the deck seemed ready to burst open. To leeward 



