UNDER THE :M1DNIGHT SUN. 317 



Having a large stock of bear meat on hand, I ap- 

 proved Chipp's suggestion to make some of it up into 

 sausage-balls, mincing pork with it and adding pow- 

 dered herbs. Our St. Michael's salmon were finished 

 yesterday, and I fear we shall find it hard to supply 

 their place. Canned fish cannot be said to be a nour- 

 ishing or agreeable kind of food. An exception may 

 possibly be made in favor of canned salmon, but that 

 alone. We have a barrel of codfish which Captain Jes- 

 person, of the Fanny A. Hyde, caught while becalmed 

 off St. Lawrence Island, and which he salted down ; 

 and as the fish is solid it will be a more acceptable 

 food than the rags and small pieces which all canned 

 fish (except salmon) seem to be. 



The work of restowing the small holds being com- 

 pleted, our quarter deck is now quite clear. What a 

 comfort it is to see the deck again after so many months 

 can hardly be appreciated by one who has not been 

 circumstanced like ourselves. 



Ajyril lt>th, Thursday. — This morning upon getting 

 up I was informed that a suspicion of land to N. N. W. 

 was occasioned by the peculiar appearance of some 

 clouds in that direction. Upon going on deck I saw 

 what all seafaring people would call clouds hanging 

 over the land, but though we peered anxiously and 

 hopefully with glasses we could see nothing of the sup- 

 posed land underneath. A strong corroboration of the 

 suspicion occurred in the sight of two snow-buntings, 

 which flew towards the ship from the southward, and 

 after a moment's rest on the ice flew toward this sus- 

 pected discovery. They might have remained near the 

 ship, but as soon as they alighted on the ice under our 

 flying jib-boom the lean dog Wolf, always ready for a 

 mouthful, rushed for them and drove them away. 



