THE RETURN OF DAYLIGHT. 285 



chance remained on deck all winter exposed, save for 

 the protection of the tent awning, to all the rigor of 

 this climate. As an experiment, one or two were 

 placed in boiling water and thus thawed and cooked. 

 To our surprise they tasted like almost fresh potatoes. 

 The heart was black and bad, but enough of the outer 

 body remained to be of use. By thawing a few at a 

 time we were able to get a couple of potatoes apiece at 

 two meals this past week. The difficulty about having 

 them regularly and in quantities is that they turn the 

 hot w\ater so quickly into cold water or ice in drawing 

 the frost, that the. proper quantity would defeat the ob- 

 ject altogether. 



The pumping goes on with its accustomed regularity. 

 Two of our men away on the ice to-day report having 

 fired at a bear and hit him, but he managed to escape. 

 There were brought in to-day from the ice at some dis- 

 tance three species bivalves, one univalve, two pieces 

 drift-wood, some stones, and some sponges. The shells 

 can be accounted for, perhaps, by the habit of walruses 

 in digging them up with their tusks and bringing them 

 to the surface. 



March loth, Monday. — The crew were engaged 

 again to-day in digging away the ice under the stern. 

 Having reached a depth of four feet, water commenced 

 to flow up and freeze at the surface. As much of the 

 stern-post as can be seen is in good condition, and no 

 injury can be discovered around the stern and quar- 

 ters. Sounds of ice in motion to S. E. and E. at four a. m. 

 Bright, clear, and pleasant weather. The temperature 

 begins at minus 16°, and falls to minus 27.5°. 



March IQth, Tuesday. — Sounded at noon in thirty 

 fathoms (muddy bottom). Ice formed five inches in 

 thickness over sounding hole since yesterday. Temper- 



