300 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



of the summer sim, and in consequence it floated higher 

 above the surface. 



March 2^th, Friday. — Sounded at noon in thirty 

 fathoms, muddy bottom. Strong drift to W. indicated 

 by lead hue ; so strong was it that Mr. Dunbar had 

 great difficulty in getting an up and down sounding, 

 the lead being swept off the bottom. Ice three inches 

 in thickness formed over sounding hole since noon yes- 

 terday. A fresh gale from E. S. E. and E. all day. The 

 temperature began at minus 12.5°, but by ten a. m. had 

 gone up to zero, and after having reached 4.5°, closed 

 the day at 3°. So much heat was startling, and induced 

 us to face the wind for its soft and warm effects. 



Clear and pleasant weather until sunrise just before 

 six A. M., when it became overcast and gloomy and re- 

 mained so. Much fine driving snow fell, and as soon 

 as it had drifted into little ridges, say six inches deep, 1 

 scooped up two handfuls of it and had the surgeon test 

 it ; but alas ! even newly fallen snow had, in being 

 driven across the face of the floe, caught up and car- 

 ried along too much salt. I shall soon believe that it 

 drops salt from the sky. We also had a thick fog for 

 five or six hours in the middle of the day. Previous 

 thereto the ice opened and clouds of vapor escaped, 

 and then the opening must have been so extensive 

 as to cause the fog. 



March 21th, Saturday. — A breezy day. The tem- 

 perature commenced at 4°, and went up steadily to 13° 

 as the day ended. Much fog between six and ten p. m., 

 proceeding from evidently extensive openings in the 

 ice to the southward and eastward of the ship. By 

 Chipp's observations to-day we are in latitude N. 72° 

 29', longitude 178° 07' W., showing a drift since the 

 20th inst., of fourteen miles to N. 63° W. This is prob- 



