CHAPTER VII. 



THE RETURN OF DAYLIGHT. 



27 January — March, 1880. 



The Pressure on the Ship. — Diminution of the Leak. — Lunar 

 Halos. — Bears and Bear Meat. — Engineering Contrivances. 

 — The Amount of Salt in Ice. — Experience of "Weyprecht and 

 Morse. — Condition of the Dogs. — Forebodings. — Observation 

 under Difficulty. — Washington's Birthday. — Protection for the 

 Eyes. — Cheerfulness of the Crew. — The Thermometers. — Dam- 

 age to the Ship. — Trench Digging. — Soundings and Drift. — 

 Fresh Potatoes. — An Auroral Display. — Examination of Dr. 

 Kane's and Dr. Walker's Statements of the Presence of Salt in 

 Ice. — St. Patrick's Day. — Ice Formation. 



January 27^/i, Tuesday. — The day begins clear and 

 pleasant, with bright starlight and moonlight, and a 

 light air from E. by S. At one a. m. it fell calm, and 

 almost immediately after a light air came out from W. 

 by N. No sooner had the shift occurred, although the 

 wind was so light as not to turn the anemometer cups, 

 than the ice began to move. I am convinced by this 

 time that although the ice is subject to a tidal motion, 

 it is also quite sensitive to wind. With easterly wind 

 we and the ice drift together, as a general thing, with- 

 out risk or confusion. But let a sudden shift to the 

 westward occur and we bring up all standing, and are 

 beaten back with a pressure that makes us in trouble 

 again. If, therefore, there is open water in this part 

 of the world at this season of the year, it is to the 



t 



