194 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



verge of another ice disturbance, for at times during 

 the day the ice to the N. E. of us, and distant half a 

 mile, began to move with its usual accompaniment of 

 groans and shrieks while under pressure. 



December dth, Tuesday. — A south southeast gale all 

 day. No movement to the ice. 



There is a wonderful sameness to our daily life, and 

 I can as yet devise no efficient way of changing the 

 monotony. We are continually standing by for a move- 

 ment to the ice with everything ready for an emergency. 

 Knapsacks at hand, sledges packed, boats ready, medi- 

 cines and instruments, arms and ammunition, sledge 

 parties all told off ; all these things keep us in a posi- 

 tion of unrest and uncertainty. We seem to feel as if 

 we were living on the edge of a crater. Under the 

 circumstances we can do nothing but wait, thankful 

 each morning that we are no worse off than we were 

 the night before, and yet anxious as to what the day 

 may bring forth. Were we in a harbor and could con- 

 sider the ship a fixture until spring, we should hardly 

 feel the winter in the many occupations and amuse- 

 ments we should have, but here adrift in the pack we 

 can only wait and watch. 



The necessary and inevitable refuse of the ship has 

 rendered our surroundings not at all pleasant to con- 

 template. If we could only have snow, this might be 

 covered and kept out of sight, but I begin to believe 

 snow never falls here. Although I ought to be glad 

 that it is all outside of the ship instead of inside, I can- 

 not help complaining of the lack of cleanliness of our 

 surroundings. 



Melville has made a complete success of the distiller, 

 and now we get our water pure. But it takes two 

 pounds of coal for every gallon of water, and that ex- 



