278 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEAXXETTE. 



rising temperature we set to work and dug a trench 

 four feet in width all along the port side, until we un- 

 covered the top of the doubling. This was a heavy 

 labor, bringing in picks, axes, and shovels ; but it re- 

 lieved us of the clinging and holding down effect of 

 this amount of ice whenever the ship should struggle 

 to rise and free herself. When we commence on the 

 starboard side, however, it will be a heavier job, for the 

 ship's rail is almost flush with the ice on that side. 

 Should we retain our present position a month longer, 

 we can fill, or nearly fill, this trench with ashes, and 

 perhaps thaw a small basin or dock in which we can 

 float some time before the surrounding ice breaks up 

 and liberates us. The digging to-day brought up a rare 

 stock of empty cans, which, slowly accumulating since 

 November 28th, had as slowly been covered over by 

 dirt, ashes, and frozen slops. Openings occurred in the 

 ice durino; the afternoon about a mile to the E. and S. 

 E. of the ship, from which large clouds of vapor arose. 

 The time of new moon being at hand, I stood by for a 

 possible emergenc}^, but beyond a slight shock at mid- 

 night nothing occurred. The hunters report having 

 seen seals in the ice openings, but brought none back as 

 the result. A skeleton of a baby seal (picked by foxes 

 no doubt) was found and brought to the ship. 



A very curious cirro-cumulus cloud, in shape re- 

 sembling a cornucopia, arose in the S. W. this afternoon, 

 and slowly mounted toward the zenith. It so much re- 

 sembled a cloud I once saw in the River Plate, imme- 

 diately preceding a heavy pampero, that I somewhat 

 anticipated a heavy blow in this case, but nothing oc- 

 curred. As an experiment, I had, some time since, a 

 quantity of salt beef hung up in the rigging, and 

 another quantity packed in snow in a barrel. After 



