THE RETURN OF DAYLIGHT. 257 



thus make it eatable. But since the fires under the 

 main boiler have been discontinued the dogs have had a 

 hard time. I learned to-day that they were being fed 

 on this concentrated food in its present frozen condition. 

 I have been wondering for several days why the dogs 

 fawned so much upon anybody who came on deck, and 

 why the rattle of an empty meat-can thrown over the 

 rail was a call to all the dogs to rush for the ship in a 

 bod}'. Being up all night, and getting my rest in the 

 daytime, I lose track of some details by my not seeing 

 them, or Cliipp forgetting to report them. As soon as 

 I learned of the issue of frozen dog food, I immediately 

 conferred with Melville about putting a pipe in the 

 Baxter boiler to carry steam into a barrelful of the 

 dog food to thaw it, and he commenced to do so im- 

 mediately. 



Some of our dogs have poor teeth, and some seem to 

 be going it " on their gums." These, while trying to 

 get the frozen morsels down, are frequently robbed by 

 the more vigorous dogs who have good jaws, and who 

 can if necessary reduce an iron bar to proper size for 

 their stomachs. Being unable to get sleep this morn- 

 ing, after my all-night watch, I went out on the floe at 

 nine A. m., and was immediately surrounded by all the 

 toothless dogs, who fawned upon me as if their instinct 

 had told them I was the commanding officer, and should 

 be appealed to to right them. I am in hopes now that 

 the evil is remedied, and that every dog will get his 

 food in such shape as will prove eatable. 



Sounded at noon in thirty-one fathoms (muddy bot- 

 tom), a northwest drift being indicated by the lead line. 

 Ice formed seven inches in thickness over soundins; 

 hole since yesterday. We have been favored with a 

 gale to-day with tremendously heavy squalls. 



17 



