THE LAST OF THE JEANNETTE. 525 



Ordinarily they do not fight much, generally jumping 

 around and around to keep face to the dogs, but this 

 one had her war paint on with a vengeance. 



Something is getting ready for a move, for three 

 times to-day, seven A. m., two and four p. m., the ship 

 was heavily jarred, and the grinding and snapping of 

 the ice occurred alongside of us, though nothing could 

 be seen. 



March Sth, Tuesday. — We have had a screamer of 

 a S. W. gale all day. Away we flew to the northeast, 

 our soundings deepening to thirty-six and one half fath- 

 oms. What little was left visible of the ship on her 

 starboard side was promptly buried by the clouds of 

 drift, and we looked like three masts rising out of a 

 snow-bank ; even the decks were piled up, and one 

 had to climb over the snow barricade that the wind 

 had heaped up against the porch door. 



March 10th, Thursday. — A light S. W. breeze and 

 steadily increasing temperature. Just as the wind 

 changed, at three p. m., the ice commenced to jar the 

 ship. The sound of our going over some underlying 

 pieces w r as apparent, and considerable strain seemed to 

 be received. Five hundred yards east of the ship a 

 long crack occurred running north and south, and the 

 ice beyond immediately commenced crowding in, break- 

 ing up edges and piling a ridge all along its length. 

 This advance looked something like our old experience 

 of November, 1879. 



March 11th, Friday. — Our days are steadily length- 

 ening. At nine to-night the twilight arch was distinct 

 above the northwest horizon. At midnight brilliant 

 flashing of an auroral mass of curtain segments west 

 between horizon and zenith. At the same time I re- 

 marked what I have frequently heard before, noises 



