A FROZEN SUMMER. 375 



stowing the provisions and dog food they contained in 

 the steam-cutter, and in general cleaning up around 

 ship. We are gradually resuming ship-shape propor- 

 tions, and shall soon be ready for a start northward and 

 eastward, or northward and westward, whichever the 

 ice and winds will permit, for, alas, our coal-pile is too 

 small to think of doing any steaming except in a great 

 emergency. 



The thermometer beginning at 25° reaches 37° by 

 six p M. and closes at 30°. Very pleasant and agree- 

 able, thus enabling us to be indifferent to having no 

 fire in the stove. 



June 6th, Saturday. — A day of no remarkable event, 

 except that my observations for position reveal the un- 

 pleasant fact that we have been set back S. one half 

 W. four and a half miles. This is due, of course, to 

 the northerly winds prevailing during the preceding 

 twenty-four hours. Some little encouragement can be 

 drawn from the belief that our prompt changes of posi- 

 tion, in compliance with change of wind, indicate a 

 generally looser state of the ice than has been supposed 

 hitherto. I am hoping strongly day after day for some 

 indication of a coming liberation, but though we have 

 nearly daily a tempting water-sky in some direction or 

 other, no change yet comes. Chipp has his hands full 

 in getting things into shape, but everything is progress- 

 ing favorably, our decks are rapidly clearing, and we 

 are surely approaching the time when nothing will re- 

 main but to hang the rudder and make sail when the 

 ice gives us a chance to head toward some satisfactory 

 result of our Arctic cruise. 



June Qth, Sunday. — In my sanguine moments dur- 

 ing the winter I used to hope for a liberation and con- 

 sequent advance in May, but here we are in June and 



