538 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



to have come down to a walk, with a dog on each side 

 of him. Possibly all three were so fatigued that they 

 had declared a temporary truce. I say the men fol- 

 lowed the tracks for ten miles, but double that distance 

 would be nearer the distance traveled. When they 

 started to return, they were as far as that in a straight 

 line from the ship. The ice at that point was all in 

 motion, grinding and groaning to a fearful extent, and 

 Ericksen, obeying orders, ran no risk of being cut off. 

 The tracks were still visible, showing that the bear and 

 his two satellites were continuing south. At 7.05 p. m. 

 the ship received a jar as if striking in going over a 

 submerged piece of ice. 



April 21st, Thursday. — Latitude 76° 2! 34" N., lon- 

 gitude 167° 45' 30" E., — a drift since yesterday of ten 

 and one half miles to N. 53° W. My courage is all 

 aroused again, for if we go on now, as seems not im- 

 probable, we may accomplish something yet. A gale is 

 blowing from east all clay, and with no sign of a let up. 

 Soundings in eighty-one fathoms, and a rapid drift indi- 

 cated W. N. W. Herald Island is now 400 miles S. 43° 

 E. from us. I hope our two missing dogs have not gone 

 to look for us there. 



April 25th, Monday. — A clear, bright clay, and I 

 am enabled to get good sights for position, with the 

 following result : Latitude 76° 19' N., longitude 164° 

 45' E. A drift of no less than forty-seven miles N. 

 69° W. since the 21st. This is the greatest drift we 

 have yet to record, and though 147 miles would be 

 more satisfactory I cannot complain, though I hope the 

 time is not far distant when 147 miles will be an ordi- 

 nary day's work. 



So much theorizing has been done this cruise, that 

 one more theory will not be amiss, namely, that the 



