A FROZEN SUMMER. 395 



Stuck in the ice — mired, in fact, at 73° 24' N., it is 

 hard to hope that we shall make any record worth com- 

 paring with any other. Being the first Sunday in the 

 month, we had, of course, the Articles of War and 

 general muster preceding my inspection and divine ser- 

 vice. 



• Julfj bth, Monday. — Celebrated the anniversary of 

 American Independence by dressing ship with ensigns 

 at mast-heads, and signals in a rainbow ; and I hope 

 American Independence will feel sufficiently compli- 

 mented by its celebration in this place for the first time. 

 The weather prevented me from determining the exact 

 spot of the celebration b}^ observations. The latitude, 

 73° 26' 7" N., is all I could get. Thick fog and a 

 searching mist made a wretched day. The flags were 

 all covered with rime and frost when hauled down, 

 and will need several days' good sunning to be dried. 



July Qth, Tuesday. — All our time and attention 

 were occupied to-day in collecting surface ice and thaw- 

 ing the same in our water tank for drinking and cooking 

 purposes. The greatest care was exercised in the se- 

 lection of the ice ; but occasionally some Avould prove 

 to have been dug too deeply, and would give so much 

 salt in its resulting fluid as to require rejection. As a 

 general rule, the soft snow-like surface crust was suffi- 

 ciently fresh to make a potable element ; but if by ac- 

 cident or carelessness the spade struck into the under- 

 lying ice, a salty solution was the result. Dr. Ambler 

 and Chipp watched the matter closely and faithfully, 

 repeated tests being made of each barrelful of snow 

 before emptying it into the tank ; and I am satisfied 

 that every precaution was taken to provide a sufficiently 

 pure element. The change from distilled water to 

 melted ice is a bold experiment, and only warranted by 



