632 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



under the lee of the boats we were cold and miserable. 

 Our usual fog made things still more uncomfortable, and 

 I think no one was sorry when at 1.10 A. M. I gave the 

 order to turn to and go ahead. 



A short distance from our dinner camp we saw a seal 

 igloo, where, no doubt, a seal had had her young. The 

 communicating hole to the water remained, but the 

 snow part or covering had melted away. Farther on 

 we saw some bear droppings several days old. We 

 have struck some old ice again, and our going promises 

 to be good. There are no signs of any openings, and I 

 hope to have accomplished three miles altogether by 

 the time we camp. This would be our best day's work 

 in that case. 



Though this is old ice I do not mean to say it is 

 paleocrystic. It is of more than one year's growth. 

 Numerous snouts, smooth, hard, and in places muddy, 

 stick up above the level to a height of twelve and 

 fifteen feet, and I notice they all point to southeast, 

 as if the jam came from northwest. My German 

 chart says the prevailing winds at the New Siberian 

 Islands are from southwest and northwest in winter, 

 and it does seem as if we were having similar here. 

 Toward three a. m. the wind backed to W. N. W. 

 Sometimes snow, sometimes fine hail. Though we had 

 a good road, comparatively speaking, everybody was tir- 

 ing with the numerous " fleets," and it was not until 7.30 

 A. m. that the last boat was hauled into camp, — over 

 three miles accomplished since eight p. m. yesterday. 



I am not sure that I make anything by this, for 

 everybody is fatigued, and, perhaps, will not be very 

 fresh for hauling this evening. We have one and one 

 half miles same kind of road flagged out ahead of us. 

 Supper at 8.30 a. m. Piped down at 9.30 a. m. Called 



