260 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



the performance of each in order to get as exact an idea 

 as possible of the extent of the leak. We find the 

 amount of the leak may be assmned to be 1G47.7 gal- 

 lons per hour. Sounded at noon in thirty-two fathoms, 

 muddy bottom with shells. A small clam was brought 

 up by the lead. A drift to N. was indicated by the line. 

 Five inches of ice formed over sounding hole since yes- 

 terday. Clear and pleasant weather, moderate west 

 winds. Temperature slowly falls from minus 45^ to 

 minus 46°, but I am inclined to think it is colder than 

 is recorded. Our mercurial thermometers record be- 

 low minus 40° (the freezing point of mercury being 

 minus 39°). But how far such records are reliable is 

 a matter for scientific consideration. One of our mer- 

 curial thermometers records minus 50°, and our spirit 

 thermometers are generally from 3° to 4° higher 

 (warmer). Beyond minus 39° by mercurial thermom- 

 eters I consider our most careful records as unreliable. 



Although we have a clear day and a clear horizon, 

 no land is to be seen. We must therefore have drifted 

 away from our N. side of Wrangel Land. With the 

 high winds prevailing of late we have had no chance 

 of getting observations, and with the cold weather we 

 are having, one is sure of frozen fingers. In the ab- 

 sence of a place to erect our observatory, all our as- 

 tronomical observations have to be made with sextant 

 and artificial horizon. Care has to be taken to get the 

 sight quickly before the mercury, freezes, and as the 

 fingers are like sticks, they do not work tangent screws 

 readily. While working at these the horizon and index 

 glasses frost up, and then there is nothing to do but 

 come in and thaw out. Under ordinary circumstances 

 our transit theodolite might be used. But apart from 

 the difficulty of working leveling screws in this tem- 



