THE RETURN OF DAYLIGHT. 253 



the boiler feed, must be pure salt water, for so much 

 water has flowed into the ship and been pumped out 

 that our bilges are as clean as a whistle. But ujDon 

 tasting and testing it we find it has an unpleasant taste 

 and odor. With sea cocks frozen solid in their seats, 

 getting a supply from the sea was no easy matter ; and 

 a thawed valve soon froze hard again with an outside 

 temperature of minus 35° to minus 40°. However, 

 Melville managed to get a Kingston valve open, so that 

 we can feed our little boiler from pure salt water and 

 not bilge water, and now I do not anticipate any diffi- 

 culty. One of my ideas that fresh water, that is, fresh 

 enough water, could always be obtained in the Arctic 

 regions, has been thoroughly exploded. 



February 14f/?, Saturday. — The forward spar deck 

 bilge-pump is kejDt running all day. The steam-cutter's 

 engine, running in connection with the main engine 

 bilge-pump, is used about one sixth of the time to pump 

 out the fire-room bilge, and the remainder of the time 

 it is used for distilling water for drinking and cooking 

 purposes. 



February Ibth, Sunday. — Although we have suc- 

 ceeded in getting our pumping so perfected that we can 

 hold the water in check without resorting to pumps 

 worked by the main boiler, our troubles are not ended 

 yet. The water has succeeded in forcing its way up on 

 the berth deck on the port side, driving through the 

 filling between the frames. As a consequence, the 

 berth deck this morning was wet and sloppy, and un- 

 comfortable beyond expression. Sweetman indefatiga- 

 bly set to work again to put in more filling, and at the 

 same time build a little bulkhead under the berths to 

 keep the water from flowing out over everything, while 

 a hole bored in the deck itself will let it off into the 



