264 



THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



sary work to be performed daily, now that we are leak- 

 ing, that there can be holiday for nobody. 



Sounded at noon in thirty-three fathoms, mud and 

 gravel. Ice five inches thick formed over sounding 

 hole since yesterday. Early daylight at 4.50 A. m. An 

 opening in the ice about one half mile to the southward 

 of the ship. Full moon occurs at noon on the 25th, 

 and we must stand by for a scare I suppose. 



A bear came near the ship at midnight, but the dogs 

 made a rush for him and drove him off before anybody 

 could get a shot at him. 



February 24:th, Tuesday. — A slight shock from the 

 ice at 3.50 A. m. and a sound of ice in motion was heard 



at the same time. 

 -, r-^ At four this after- 



'^^^=^' ^^^-^ noon we sighted 



Herald Island from 

 aloft. This seemed 

 almost like meeting 

 an old friend. It 

 bore S., verifying 

 our sights for posi- 

 tion on the 21st. 

 Bright, pleasant 



A Polar Bear. ,1 ri 



w^eather. bo pow- 

 erful have the sun's rays become that I have ordered 

 the wearing of snow spectacles by everybody going 

 away from the ship. At one A. m. brilliant aurora. 



At ten this morning there was a great going on with 

 the ice. The usual grinding and screaming broke out 

 suddenly all around us, but at some little distance, say 

 a quarter of a mile. No ice could be seen moving, but 

 that there was motion somewhere was evident from 

 the vapor that rose from openings in the floes. A very 



