A FROZEN SUMMER. 377 



more southing by to-morrow ; but it will be doubly 

 hard if we make westing again, because it will seem 

 then that we have got a start for the coast of Siberia, 

 and there is nothing of honor in that. Never mind, 

 ''The darkest hour is just before the dawn," and our 

 dawn may be a bright one. 



The men were busy to-day scraping the ship's side in 

 readiness for painting. Surrounded as we are with ice, 

 we nevertheless shall make a good appearance. Chipp 

 already has the Jeannette clean and orderly, and will 

 have her in fine cruising order by the time the water 

 gets to us. Sweetman was at work securing the keel 

 runners to the boats, while Nindemann varnished the 

 binnacles and fitted " pantalets " to them. 



To-day we discontinued fires in the cabin and berth 

 deck, intending hereafter to limit our expenditure of 

 fuel to what is required in the galley and for distilling. 

 At first, no doubt, we shall feel the cold ; but a slight 

 discomfort now will weigh as nothing against accom- 

 plishing something this summer, or being comfortable 

 next winter. It is well to notice here, that now that 

 we have no fires in the stoves we boil our tea water by 

 steam, using a pipe Melville has fitted to the Baxter 

 boiler for that purpose. 



June Sth, Tuesday. — Still going south and east. I 

 suppose we shall go in this direction until a southeaster 

 brings us up and sends us northwest. 



June 9th, Wednesday/. — Still going south, — one mile 

 to S. 12° E. since yesterday. However, that is a slight 

 affair, and hardly worth mention, for a promising feat- 

 ure developed itself in the shape of another S. E. wind, 

 which, springing up at six a.m., freshens, and by mid- 

 night reaches a velocity of eighteen miles, with indica- 

 tions of growing still fresher to-morrow. The ther- 



