414 THE VOYAGE OF THE JE ANNETTE. 



ing his last at three p. m." As we are of an inquiring 

 turn of mind a post-mortem was held, Iversen acting 

 as coroner, and it was found that the dog's death was 

 caused by his swallowing a sharp bone, which cut 

 through his intestines. 



August 2d, Monday. — We have taken a new depar- 

 ture. Our position to-day I find to be in latitude N. 

 73' 20', longitude W. 178° 36', showing that we have 

 drifted since July 29th N. 49° E. twenty-three and six 

 tenths miles, or nearly seven miles a day. Our new de- 

 parture consists in our starting off to the N. E., leaving 

 the old backward track and going to a new part of the 

 ocean. Though not exciting it has the air of novelty, 

 and may prove the beginning of what, please God, will 

 be a successful result to this hitherto valueless expedi- 

 tion ; it is so hard to drift about in this uncertainty, 

 while every day, nay, every hour, shortens an already 

 too short Arctic summer. Arctic summer ! have we any 

 reason to speak of summer ? Our average temperature 

 for June was 30°, and for July 33°, and our w\irmest 

 whole day thus far 38° (an ordinary cold whiter day in 

 New York). What a scampering would take place at 

 Theodore Thomas' to-night if w^e exchanged tempera- 

 tures with them ! Four years ago to-day I was in Port 

 Royal, S. C, with the thermometer 90° in the shade. 

 What would I not give to have that temperature in 

 these regions for a month or two ! 



About 8.30 P. M. an opening occurred in the ice 

 about one quarter mile west of the ship, and extend- 

 ing for a short distance in a north and south direction, 

 and wide enough to steam the ship in. 



Our humdrum existence is occasionally varied by 

 finding shells, pieces of sponge, or bits of wood on the 

 ice. These are being uncovered by the gradual melt- 



