THE RETURN OF DAYLIGHT. 29 T 



It is not so very long ago as it seems to me when I re- 

 corded it as something noteworthy that we could read 

 the anemometer at noon without a lantern. In fact, 

 there are some among us who claim to be able to see it 

 even at midnight when there is no moon. 



By this morning the water was at the height of ten 

 feet ten inches on the stem, and had there reached its 

 level. I do not think the ship would draw that amount 

 of water were she free to float, for she is no doubt 

 firmly held by the mass of ice which formed around 

 her since our coming here on the 25th November, at 

 which time her draught of water was nearly eleven feet 

 forward. When she does get free I think she will draw 

 much less forward, because we have been steadily light- 

 ening her by consumption of coal and by moving sa 

 many weights aft. Additional lightening forward will 

 be attempted when mild weather comes, by trimming 

 all the coal and getting more provisions aft, my object 

 being to get the water level below the line of the berth 

 deck. This we can do with a draught of nine feet, and 

 then we can shut the bulkhead across the fore peak and 

 manage to carry the fore peak full of water without 

 danger, stopping our steam pumping and saving coal. 



We went to work again to-day digging away the ice 

 under the stern, so as to get the propeller frame and 

 perhaps one blade clear. Land was seen in the after- 

 noon bearing S., — the same two peaks with a saddle 

 between them which we have seen before, and suppose 

 to be the N. side of Wrangel Land. 



March 2M, Thursday. — Weather clear and pleas- 

 ant until ten a. m., the wind prevailing from W. S. W. 

 From ten a. m. to ten p. m. the sky was overcast, and 

 from noon till six p. m. a thick fog surrounded us. Many 

 openings occurred in the ice between S. E. and S. W.^ 



