654 THE VOYAGE OF THE JE ANNETTE. 



ings, and, having got everything advanced a good three 

 quarters of a mile since breaking camp, I halted at 

 midnight and prepared for dinner. Just then Mr. Col- 

 lins called out to me, " Captain, is that land or water? " 

 Looking south, where he pointed, behold there were 

 some more uncertainties. "Was this land or water ? If 

 land, then we had seen no water west. If water, then 

 our only land west was the faint curve drawn above 

 and very distant. I was fairly staggered, and Mr. Dun- 

 bar looked as if he had been dropped from the clouds. 

 It was a confusing moment to me. The south appear- 

 ance indicated much greater distance, and if I made for 

 it a S. E. wind might spring up and drift me away from 

 it faster than I could go toward it, and I might, by 

 going to the westward, reach the land or water before 

 a southeaster set me away from it. I decided to await 

 the result of the trip of Dunbar and the doctor. 



July 18th, Monday. — At 12.50 A. m. ahead went 

 those two gentlemen, and at 1.15 A. m. we moved along 

 with our effects. After crossing two small leads we 

 struck a long piece — two miles — of smooth ice, made 

 last winter, and got along splendidly. Next to the 

 smooth ice was a long floe of hard, older ice (two miles), 

 and I was beginning to contemplate a good clay's work 

 when some unexpected openings occurred among the 

 last winter's ice and threw us back somewhat, and, in 

 consequence, when I halted and camped on the old ice 

 at 5.40 A. m., I think we had barely made two miles 

 good since our breakfast. | 



The weather had remained pleasant. The sun was 

 frequently obscured, and enabled us to dispense from 

 time to time with our snow-glasses, to the great relief 

 of many who have difficulty in wearing them. Light 

 west airs, the clouds having a slow motion from that 

 direction. 



