290 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



in snow for culinary purposes brought in some ice in- 

 stead ; this they obtained from some hummock near the 

 ship, these hummocks being part of the formation of 

 the previous winter's pack in which we were caught. 

 The ice turned out to be sufficiently fresh for all the 

 purposes of domestic use. On several occasions the 

 jDarties sent out for this ice, digging too deep into 

 the hummock, and not content with the surface pieces, 

 found that the ice was no longer fresh, but quite salt — 

 this ice being a continuation of the same hummock, 

 and also of the previous winter's growth." 



Now, it is a matter of historical record that the De 

 Haven Expedition had scurvy, De Haven being among 

 the invalids. Weyprecht's party also had scurvy ; and 

 later still the English Expedition of 1875 broke down 

 with it. Dr. Kane, with nitrate of silver, could find 

 no salt in ice formed from salt-water ; and the sur- 

 geon of the Alert says he tested the water used with 

 nitrate of silver, and found it perfectly pure. The 

 water used was from refrozen pools of water on the top 

 of a floeberg. Dr. Walker further says : " On the 12th 

 and 13th August, 1857, whilst lying off Browne Islands, 

 and within about four miles of the glacier, surrounded 

 by bergs, I noticed an appearance like oil on the sur- 

 face of the water. On closer inspection and testing, 

 this proved to be fresh water floating on the surface of 

 the salt to the depth of two or three inches. The sun 

 beaming down upon the bergs had melted the ice and 

 snow ; this running off, floated on the surface and re- 

 mained separate so long as there was no wind to mix 

 and agitate the fluids of different densities. To a com- 

 bination of such circumstances, with an after-freezing 

 of this surface water, do these fresh hummocks owe 

 their origin. The water, being frozen in this state, and 



