350 THE VOYAGE OF THE JE ANNETTE. 



culties of Captain Markham in his struggle northward 

 from the Alert's winter-quarters, and I cheerfully admit 

 the correctness of his cousin's remark, that no sledo-ino; 

 could accomplish anything on the rough ice I would en- 

 counter north of Behring Strait. If anything should 

 force us to abandon our ship, I am satisfied that we 

 should be unable to drag enough provisions to enable 

 us to reach Siberia ; and that, unless aided by the grow- 

 ing improvement in the season we could kill enough to 

 eat as we journeyed, our only salvation would be in 

 coming to open water early in the distance, as did Wey- 

 precht's party from the Tegetthof. 



By my observations to-da}^, I locate our position in 

 latitude 73° 7 46'' N., longitude 178° 57' 45" E., — a 

 drift since yesterday of a mile and a half W. being 

 shown. Whatever theory may have been advanced as 

 to currents in this part of the Arctic Ocean, I think our 

 drift is demonstrating that they are the local creation 

 of the wind for the time being. As our drift in general 

 resulting direction has been N. W. since our first be- 

 setment, so is it a .fact that the greater amount of wind 

 has been from the S. E., — our short and irregular side 

 drift east and west and occasionally back to south being 

 due to correspondingly short and irregular winds from 

 N. "W. or E. A glance at my wind record will make 

 that clear. 



As yet no land. Our log is headed, '" Beset in the 

 pack to the northward and westward of Herald. Island," 

 because Herald Island is the most northerly land we 

 have seen ; but Herald Island is now S., 41° E., 142 

 miles distant, and is rather remote to date from. A 

 flock of birds flew across the bows from E. to W. this 

 morning, as if indicating a land in that direction, but 

 we can as yet see nothing of it. 



