CHAPTER X. 



THE RETURN TO COLD AND DARKNESS. 



September — December, 1880. 



The Ship Afloat. — On an Even Keel. — Again Frozen In. — A 

 Snow-Storm. — Prepared for Winter. — Dog Food. — The Village 

 on Deck. — Monotony. — The Dogs' Treatment of each other. — 

 Chase after a Bear. — The Health of the Men, as shown by Rapid 

 Recovery. — Anticipations of Removal. — Pure and Impure Air. — 

 The Beauty of the Night. — Sensitiveness to Cold. — Fox-Tracks. 

 — Observations. — Treadmill of Life. — The Effect of Arctic Life 

 on Health and Spirits. — Sudden Appearance of the Sun. — Shocks 

 to the Ship. — The Dryness of the Quarters. — Sleeplessness. — A 

 Minstrel Entertainment Christmas Eve. — Christmas Dinner. — 

 Auroral Display. — The Last Day of the Year. — The Jeanuette 

 Minstrels. — Courageous Outlook. 



September 1st, Wednesday. — At last we are on an 

 even keel ! This morning at 9.35 the ship suddenly 

 righted, and moved astern about two feet. It was done 

 very quietly and without shock, except to a dog who 

 was on the gang-plank, and was suddenly tumbled, to 

 his surprise, on to the ice below. Thin ice had formed 

 around our free part to the thickness of nearly an inch, 

 and the cracking and breaking of this film(?) was the 

 only accompaniment to our movement. One or two 

 large chunks of ice rose to the surface on the port side, 

 and then all was still. 



By previous orders, at the first movement Sweetman 

 ran down in the fore peak and closed the opening in the 

 extra bulkhead built last January. We feared that on 



