FAST IN THE ICE. 187 



as if in the centre of a frozen lake, the Jeannette lay 

 squeezed by slabs of ice eight and one half inches thick, 

 with humped up and splintered Hoes, showing where 

 she had proved her strength. 



Attempts to be poetical in the Arctic are praisewor- 

 thy, but I think I shall give them up. My sensations 

 of being in critical situations are too keen to allow me 

 to write in cold blood about the beauties of ice scenery. 

 I will simply remark that the pack is no place for a 

 ship, and however beautiful it may be from an aesthetic 

 point of view, I wish with all my heart that we were out 

 of it. 



We were able to resume our exercise of two hours, 

 which was a great benefit and comfort to us. Sounded 

 at noon in thirty-two fathoms (blue mud), and a drift 

 to the N.and W. was indicated by the lead line. A 

 raven, which flew around the ship, was brought down 

 by a rifle shot by Aneguin, and added to the natural- 

 ist's collection. The loom of land was seen to the S. W. 

 At eleven a. m. inspected the ship, and at one p. m. 

 held divine service. 



By two lines of position obtained from observation of 

 the moon and Mars, Danenhower determines our posi- 

 tion at 7.30 p. M. to be latitude 72^ 36' N., longitude 

 178° 08' W., from which it appears that since November 

 21st, the date of our last observations, we have drifted 

 forty miles to the N. r W. 



I take leave of the month of November without the 

 slightest regret. It has been a month of gales, ice pres- 

 sures, and discomforts mental and physical. Earnestly 

 hoping that December will drift us quietly and peacea- 

 bly nearer the Pole, and bring us to some land where 

 we can at least have the merit of discovery if not of 

 exploration, I say good-by to November, and invoke 

 God's blessing on our ship and ourselves. 



