UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN. 329 



dred yards or so, and as frisky and far from death as 

 ever. No doubt this is a small thing to set forth at such 

 length, but when all days are alike, and but little occurs 

 to break the monotony, even an occurrence like the 

 foregoino; seems an unusual item. 



At nine p. m. we thought we saw land N. N. W. be- 

 yond a doubt. But as we brought our glasses to bear 

 on it, it was doubtful if it was not a clond. There was 

 so much open water around the horizon, and so much 

 water-sky above it, that all sorts of shapes were pre- 

 sented to our view in mist or cloud. As we are now 

 where no ship has ever been, so far as is known, we are 

 prepared for some kind of a discovery, and as land is 

 most in our thoughts we are not unwilling to believe 

 the first glance of our eyes. 



April 2Sd, Friday. — Having a clear, bright day af- 

 ter eight A. M., we took advantage of the glorious sun- 

 light to air bedding and clothing, and at the same time 

 scrub and clean the berth deck. It will seem strange 

 to some to air bedding at a temperature between 3° and 

 7°, but to us the air is soft and almost balmy, and we 

 bathe, so to speak, in the brilliant light. To see our 

 dogs basking in the sun at this temperature, fat and 

 lazy as walrus meat and no work can make them, one 

 would imagine we were in the tropics. As the sun goes 

 down (somewhere now after nine p. m.), and our canine 

 friends begin to come home to roost, the moisture con- 

 denses on them as frost, and they look like puft'-balls. 

 But still they sleep on, insensil)le alike to cold and frost. 

 At 8.30 p. M. we had a visit from a snow bunting {Plec- 

 trojyJianes nixalis). Before Newcomb could get a shot 

 at it the dogs went for the bird and drove it off. It 

 came from the E. and flew to the S. W. 



April 24:th, Saturday. — Sounded at noon in thirty- 



