454 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



sleds packed on board ship, the quick debarking of 

 such heavy weights would be difficult, if not impossible, 

 without damaging them seriously. If we do neither, 

 but have everything handy for heaving over the side, 

 and pack afterwards, our emergency may be so sudden 

 that we shall not have time to save anything. In any 

 case the impossibility of being ready for anything and 

 everything is settled. No matter which plan might be 

 adopted, our emergency, if it came, might make me 

 wish I had adopted another. So as feasible a plan as 

 any will be to have sleds, boats, provisions, dog harness, 

 sleeping-bags, knapsacks, etc., as accessible as possible. 

 Stick to the ship as long as she will stick to us, and 

 when she is ready to leave us try to be a little readier 

 to leave her. I dislike to dwell on the idea of aban- 

 donment, and even dislike preparations for such a step. 

 We have come through so much, it gives me hope of 

 our surviving more. As long as enough of the ship 

 remains to shelter us it is preferable to camping on ice ; 

 and I can conceive of no greater " forlorn hope " than 

 an attempt to reach Siberia (say two hundred and forty 

 miles) over the ice that surrounds us, and with a win- 

 ter's cold sapping one's life at every step. Of course, 

 if we were to lose our ship I would make the effort to 

 get there, but the chances of success would be ex- 

 tremely problematical. Divine service was performed 

 after inspection. 



Weather generally clear and pleasant from nine A. M. 

 to three p. m., cloudy and dull the remainder. In the 

 early morning light snow, and after three p. m. fog — 

 resulting from a reopening of the old lead which made 

 our floe an island. I am very much afraid that our ex- 

 penditure of fuel this winter will be much greater than 

 last winter. We are coining to much fine dusty stuff, 



