328 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



dozen of empty tin boxes on the floe being used as a 

 stock. 



April 21sf, Wednesday. — Upon examination this 

 morning we found that the ditch around tlie stern was 

 completely flooded, the lower layer of ice having evi- 

 dently been broken by the upward pressure of the wa- 

 ter beneath. No serious difticulty is anticipated from 

 this, however, because the comparatively reasonable 

 temperature which we are now experiencing will not 

 cause very heavy ice to form, which would hold the 

 ship down. We are still hoping and praying for a re- 

 lease. We have seen so much water -sky around us 

 that we have grown impatient at our imprisonment, 

 and anxious to move on in some direction or other for 

 a change. A raven {Corvus carnivorus) came from the 

 southward to-day and stopped near the ship. But of 

 course the dogs ran for it, and it flew away, proceed- 

 ing to N. W. A very faint suspicion of land again, this 

 time in N. 



Ajyr'd 22d, Thursday. — Another bird paid us a visit 

 to-day, this time a small, dull-colored land bird, which 

 came from the S. E., and being driven off by the dogs 

 flew to the west in an undulatory flight of quick, short,, 

 intermittent strokes of the wings. 



Snuffy, our dog with the broken nose, has a most won- 

 derful power to hold on to life. Although I know that 

 he will never be of use again, I hardly like to have him 

 shot, preferring to give him all of his life that he can 

 hang on to. Occasionally he seems going, as, for in- 

 stance, to-day, when he was lying on an old mattress 

 on the rubbish heap, seemingly at his last gasp. Being 

 occupied with taking sights, I postponed his shooting 

 until the afternoon, when, going out to see that he had 

 not died in the mean while, I found him gone one hun- 



