596 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



heard Melville arrive at the camp, the last yo-heave- 

 yup of Ninclemann announcing that fact. At two a. m. 

 we turned to and went back for the sled load of bread, 

 while Ericksen went on to the camp. When we got as 

 far as a crossing place beyond the whaleboat, though 

 there was a smooth road and no provocation, our Mc- 

 Clintock sled broke down, to my unmitigated disgust, 

 one runner doubling under completely. We unloaded 

 the bread and hitched on to the whaleboat, but could 

 only get her as far as the crossing place. Here Mel- 

 ville and his party hove in sight, "and they took the 

 boat away in good style, leaving me to guard the bread. 

 Soon Ericksen came along with his empty sled, and 

 upon his return trip with a load, I sent the broken 

 McClintock sled to the carpenter's hands. When Mel- 

 ville got into camp he went to work pitching tents by 

 my order, and Wilson unloaded No. 3 sled and brought 

 it back with the dogs to me. We then loaded one half 

 of the bread, and by some filling in where the ice had 

 opened we got it safely home. Bartiett then went back 

 for the remainder, and got it up by five A. M. ' Ericksen 

 by this time had made one more trip, and I now re- 

 lieved him and Leach, sending back Boyd and Johnson 

 for one more load before supper. Having left some 

 leaking tins of alcohol in our old camp, I sent back an 

 empty boat-breaker to be filled from them. 



Supper at six A. M. Mr. Collins was added to our list 

 of ineffectuals to-day with " a stitch in his breast," but 

 seems all right again at supper. Last night we were 

 somewhat inconvenienced in our tent by a wet lower 

 blanket, and my sleeping-bag. got wet. The snow and 

 ice thaw from the heat we generate, and flow over our 

 rubber blanket. With the snowy weather we have no 

 chance to dry it, and have to take it as it is. Lime 



