242 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



the steam-cutter's engine with the bilge-pump of the 

 main engine. Everything now is waiting for that. It 

 is possible that I might pump all the water out by the 

 power of the Baxter engine connection Avith the for- 

 ward spar-deck bilge-pump (or, at all events, keep a 

 good control over the leak), were it not that some w^ater 

 would come aft to the water-tight bulkhead. If this 

 is not pumped out it will at once freeze, unless a fire 

 is kept going to heat up the engine-room while it 

 is pumped out b}^ hand. Pumping by hand Avill use up 

 my crew, and should w^e be obliged to leave the ship in 

 a sudden smash-up, I would have an exhausted body 

 of men to lead over the ice two hundred miles to a set- 

 tlement. If the water freezes in the ship, more damage 

 may be done in a day than we could repair in a month. 

 To keep up fire enough to prevent its freezing while 

 we pumped by hand, would use up as much coal as is 

 now required for the main boiler. Hence the wisdom 

 of burning that amount of coal in the manner which 

 will save exhausting the men. If the steam-cutter's 

 engine will do the work with the Baxter boiler forward 

 doing its share, we shall save one half our fuel, or in 

 other words, make it last twice as long. 



From nine A. M. until three p. m. the north side of 

 Wrangel Land Avas in sight. Measuring with the sex- 

 tant from the sun at noon aa^c get the folloAving bear- 

 ings : Most eastern visible extremit}^ of land S. 13° W., 

 most AA^estern visible extremity S. 21° W., direction of 

 ship's head S. 49° W. It is quite evident to me that 

 but a portion of the land was seen this time, for upon 

 other occasions it covered a much greater angle, and our 

 change of position, in the mean time, has been toAvard 

 it instead of away from it. Early dawn at six. At 

 eleven the ice Avas in motion to the S. E. 



