348 THE VOYAGE OF THE JE ANNETTE. 



much later, but in our position I think I am justified 

 in expecting a let-up soon. 



May 12th, Wednesday. — A cloudy, gloomy, micom- 

 fortable day. A seal was brought in, l^ut unfortunately 

 it was of the tee-gong (?) species, unfit to eat because 

 of its strong turpentine taste. The odor from it as it 

 lay upon the ice was sufficiently indicative of its char- 

 acter. I keep his skull. Mr. Dunbar and Alexey each 

 shot a guillemot with a rifle, almost tearing the birds 

 in pieces. As an evidence of good shooting, it was a 

 decided success. And with this small record of a day's 

 doings I must be content. 



3Iay loth, Thursday. — The usual monotony of our 

 daily existence was pleasantly broken in upon. Ninde- 

 mann and Alexey while out to-day shot a seal and two 

 guillemots, which they brought in, Nindemann drag- 

 ging the seal behind him, — a laborious task, which he 

 said had lasted for about seven miles. Mr. Dunbar took 

 the entrails of the seal caught yesterday, and went out 

 to set a bear-trap in the afternoon. At 9.30 p. m., 

 Ericksen having the deck, Chipp went out to have a 

 look around before turning in, and from the roof of the 

 deck-house he saw, two hundred yards on our starboard 

 bow, a large bear sitting on a hummock gazing at the 

 ship. In a moment Chipp and Newcomb were on the 

 house top with their rifles. Chipp fired first, and thinks 

 he hit the bear ; Newcomb fired next and hit, and then 

 Chipp fired again, hitting this time without doubt, for 

 down he went. The dogs quickly gathered around him, 

 and Mr. Bruin got on his feet and made good traveling 

 over tremendously bad ice and snow-drifts, although he 

 was bleeding freely. The doctor, Chipp, and myself 

 followed Newcomb in the pursuit, and by the time the 

 bear got one quarter of a mile from the ship he halted, 



