418 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



and so does the fog. It is surprising to see how this 

 latter cuts away the ice. The full sun of June 21st 

 did not do half the execution that to-day's fog accom- 

 plished. The ice seems actually to be rotting away. 

 The surface is soft and spongy, and fully honey-coinbed ; 

 and but for the fact that there remains ice varying 

 in thickness from two to twenty feet, there is no reason 

 why we should not resume our voyage. The ship is 

 still held affectionately by ice gripping her nearly down 

 to her keel, and by its attempt to rise, heeling her over 

 75° to starboard. Here and there on either beam, holes 

 varying in size from one to six feet extend down 

 through the ice, and at a distance of one half mile on 

 the starboard beam, and one mile on the port beam, 

 there is a narrow lane of water (starboard with a W. 

 wind, port with an E. wind, neither with any other), 

 which serves to make our immediate vicinity an island ; 

 so that if we could get to this lane we might have the 

 pleasure of sailing around a circle, were we not mean- 

 while crushed by the ice coming together, for beyond 

 the lane in any direction is ice of the cheerful and 

 consoling thickness of twenty to forty feet. Inspected 

 ship at ten a. m., and had divine service afterwards. 

 Sounded in thirty-nine and a half fathoms, a marked 

 drift to N. E. being indicated by the lead line. A cu- 

 rious fact, because we have had hght breezes from 

 northward and eastward all day, and this shows a drift 

 to windward. Between ten and eleven p. m. had some 

 heavy passing showers. At midnight a remarkably 

 heavy water-sky showed itself to the southward. 



Attgust IQth, Monday. — Foggy and misty weather 

 continues unchanged. Sweetman connnenced altering 

 the frames and stanchions of the deck-house, to carry 

 out my plan of improving its arrangement next winter, 



