638 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



serve as ferry boats. Hauling loose packages, tents, 

 sleeping-bags, knapsacks, and even dogs and dog sleds 

 was easy enough, but the loaded sleds gave much an- 

 noyance, lest improper managing should damage a 

 boat. Using the first cutter alone for this purpose, and 

 hauling one sled at a time over the stern, two trips 

 were made, and then I took her and gave her the two 

 remaining sleds to carry, one over the bow and one 

 over the stern, while six of us got amidships to distrib- 

 ute weight while we hauled her over. It was risky, I 

 admit, but I did not want to lose the time which would 

 be required to unload, load, and relash the four heavy 

 sleds. I do not think, as it was, we made more than 

 one quarter of a mile good when the arrival of — 



July 12th, Tuesday, gave the signal of halting for 

 dinner, which we ate at one A. m. The weather was sen- 

 sibly colder, and the wind had veered to the west. The 

 sun began to show brightly, and we could see for some 

 distance. The ice ahead of us had all opened with the 

 change of wind, and ferrying was the order of the day. 

 Though not disagreeable work it is at times fearfully 

 slow, particularly when no suitably sized pieces are at 

 hand, and we have to take an island as long as a mail 

 steamer, and seven to ten feet thick, for a ferry boat. 

 However, over we went, traversed two floes one quar- 

 ter of a mile each in extent, and, finally, at 6.30 A. M., 

 halted and camped on an island of ice five hundred 

 yards in diameter, and averaging ten feet in thickness, 

 as the best camping place available. Our outlook was 

 not encouraging. Lanes of water not large enough 

 to help us, but wide enough to bother us, and some 

 rough-looking ice lay before us for our next task. The 

 wind had got to northwest and the weather was bright 

 and sunny, but somewhat squally. Distance made 



