THE RETURN TO COLD AND DARKNESS. 451 



in breaking out the forward store-room, getting all our 

 peinmican up ready for an emergency, and then re- 

 stowing. 



At nine p. m. a very beautiful lunar halo formed, and 

 remained at midnight, the segments of a circle having 

 prismatic colors. At 9.30 an auroral curtain arch south 

 of zenith and 30° in altitude, extending from southeast 

 to northwest, was visible, and at eleven it had crossed 

 the zenith and stood at 20° above the northern horizon. 



September 11th, Friday. — Latitude N. 72° 30' 12", 

 longitude W. 176° 30' 15", showing a drift since yester- 

 day S. 22° E. six and three fourths miles, — a somewhat 

 curious result, for our gale had about blown itself out 

 without any marked change occurring in our position, 

 and here we go away to the southward at a great rate. 

 Occasional fog indicating ice openings, soon turning 

 into snow. 



September ISth, Saturday. — A cheerful little fall of 

 temperature to 3.7° makes this day exceptionally dis- 

 agreeable, and seems to make assurance doubly sure 

 that we are frozen in for another winter. Not a vestige 

 is left of the many little ponds and streams which such 

 a short time ago might be seen in our neighborhood ; 

 on the contrary, what with snow-drifts, and the freezing 

 over of all water, one could readily believe that water 

 had never been here at all. The .ship looks as if she 

 had been here always, and, what is worse, intended to 

 remain. Excellent observations to-clay show a drift 

 since yesterday of two miles to N. 35° W. And so it 

 goes, — one day southeast, and the next day northwest 

 zigzag, zigzag. The lead two miles ahead of the ship 

 (southeast by south) is opening again, and, being visited 

 by our hunting parties, two seals are brought in. 



September IWi, Sunday. — The arrival of another 



