330 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEAXNETTE. 



seven fathoms, a drift to N. N. W. beiiis^ indicated bv 

 the lead line. I got a meridian altitude showing N. 

 72° 52' for onr latitude, so we are proceeding to the 

 northward, at all events, as well as deepening our water. 

 That we may continue to do so is my fervent hope, for 

 the higher the latitude the more satisfaction, and the 

 deeper the water the greater chance of a speedy break- 

 ing up of the ice, by reason of movement by wind or 

 the yet to be discovered current. 



A measurement of the thickness of the floe at the 

 sounding hole gives forty inches ; and as at the last 

 measurement it gave forty-eight inches, a waste has 

 occurred to just the extent of eight inches. 



April 2bth, Sunday. — The passage of another week 

 and the arrival of another Sunday becomes memorable, 

 because we have progressed nearer to the Pole by nine 

 miles. During the past week S. E. has been the pre- 

 vailing wind, and we have correspondingly gone N. W. 

 That we have thus drifted indicates a loosening of the 

 ice to the northward and westward, probably in the 

 neighborhood of the Liakhof (or New Siberia) Islands, 

 from 74° to 76°. As the season advances and the 

 weather grows milder, the ice openings and perhaps 

 movements ought to be greater to correspond, and we 

 may be able to extricate ourselves and accomplish some- 

 thing yet. Our soundings to-day are something ex- 

 traordinary, — forty-four and one half fathoms (hard 

 bottom), — being an increase of nine fathoms since 

 yesterday. We may have struck a deep hole, or we 

 may be leaving the shallow water in which we have 

 been drifting all winter, and getting to veritable Arctic 

 Ocean. A northerly drift being still indicated by the 

 lead line, Ave shall be to some extent wiser to-morrow. 



At ten A. M. I inspected the ship, finding the berth 



