280 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



quired to finish the starboard trench, and then we can 

 dig out the stem and finally the bow. The ice has 

 regularly taken the exact shape of the ship, and so 

 closely has it adhered to her that in -many places the 

 fibre of the elm doubling is imprinted on the surround- 

 ing mass. 



The hunters were out again visiting the water lane, 

 and Alexey succeeded in killing a seal and bringing it 

 to the ship. This adds to our larder, for as we have had 

 seal every Sunday for dinner all winter, we had brought 

 down our stock to one half of one seal. These seals, 

 and the almost weekly ration of bear meat, have given 

 us a certain amount of fresh provisions regularly, and 

 have gone far towards keeping us in good health. 



3Iarch 11th, Thursday. — The open water reported 

 yesterday remained closed over until this afternoon, 

 when it reopened. Nindemann reports having seen a 

 walrus with a young one on the ice. He says the 

 young one was fourteen days old. A bear-track was 

 also seen on the trail of the walking parties of yester- 

 day. Ice openings from S. S. E. and S. W. two miles 

 distant from the ship, and much vapor rising therefrom. 

 The temperature began at minus 27°, and fell to minus 

 33.5° by seven a. m., and then gradually rose to minus 

 21° by six p. m. The next hour caused a sudden jump 

 of 6°, and the next of 4i°, the temperature at eight p. m. 

 being minus 10-5° for the first time since January 12th. 

 At midnight it had only fallen to minus 14°. The air 

 seemed deliciously mild at this temperature ; after our 

 experience of minus forties and minus fifties so lately, 

 we are not prepared for such a pleasant treat as the 

 present. An immediate consequence has been a thaw- 

 ing of the ice on the bulkhead of my room, and no 

 doubt a continuance of mild weather will occasion a 

 general thaw within the ship. 



