A FROZEN SUMMER. 407 



on the borders. Excepting a very narrow lead at west 

 going a short distance to north, I saw no way of get- 

 tino; ont of this neio-hborhood, even if we were afloat 

 and at Hberty to move. As far as our floating is con- 

 cerned, that must be left to time. To-day tlie water- 

 level is at seven feet four inches forward, and eleven 

 feet nine and one half inches aft, and our heel 51° to 

 starboard. 



Gloomy, disagreeable weather. Surely we must be 

 having a backward summer to have such a state of af- 

 fairs at this date. As an addition to our trophies, a 

 branch of birch and the skull of a codfish were brought 

 in to-day. 



July 21st, Wednesday. — Temperature between 31° 

 and 34°, making one feel cold to the marrow of the 

 bones. I can safely say that I did not feel one half as 

 uncomfortable during the winter, Avith a temperature of 

 minus 30°, as I do now at a temperature of plus 30°. 

 The first was a hard, dry cold, which seemed to strike 

 but glance off, while the last is a soft, wet cold that 

 penetrates at once. 



July 22d, Thursday. — This afternoon I started out 

 with Melville, Dunbar, Aneguin, and a dog team, to see 

 some more of our ice-island. I succeeded, however, in 

 getting around from west to north only, the traveling 

 being very rough indeed. Arriving at north, I found 

 the lane of water closing up, the five foot (one sea- 

 son's) ice piling up in huge slabs on some very old and 

 heavy ice. The sight and the sound quite carried me 

 back to our experience during the winter. As the soft 

 state of the surfaces rendered impossible the high 

 scream w4iich we used to listen to, there was not much 

 of the terror inspired ; but one could not help being 

 impressed with the tremendous force with which these 



