BENNETT ISLAND. 661 



July 21st, Thursday. — At one a. m. the tents came 

 along, and the cooking stoves, and while the cooks 

 pitched camp and prepared dinner, Chipp took the rest 

 of the men back and brought forward the dingy, with 

 walrus meat enough for supper. At two a. m. dinner 

 was ready, alcohol being used as fuel. Rain still con- 

 tinued in squalls, and the ice in front of us was moving 

 before the moderate northeast gale. Clearly this was 

 a case of a lost day, and I accepted the situation. 



At 5.30 a. m. the land showed quite plainly between 

 W. S. W. and a half W., and W. by N. Soundings in 

 twenty-two fathoms, and a rapid drift W. S. W. (two 

 points to right of leeward). Supper at seven a. m., and 

 as our bags were the most comfortable things we had 

 at our disposal, we in No. 1 crawled into them at eight 

 a. m. Piped down at nine a. m. During the sleeping 

 time the wind tore around our tents in fierce gusts, 

 threatening to pull them out and whirl them away. 

 Rain fell from time to time. Called all hands at six 

 p. m. Breakfasted at seven p. M. Ice still moving in 

 the lead. Land in plain sight, and much nearer too, 

 extending from S. 87° W. to N. 56° W., both magnetic. 

 Wind strong from east, but moderating somewhat. 



The confusion before us was such that I dared not 

 risk trying to cross anything. Large blocks, small 

 lumps, and floebergs were moving along to the south- 

 ward, and occasionally a large piece, seemingly free, 

 would suddenly be shot up in the air as it was squeezed 

 by larger ones, or its submerged portions became freed 

 from overriding masses. If one of our sleds had been 

 caught in such a predicament, or one of our boats, the 

 result w^ould not be doubtful. The wind seemed in- 

 clined to freshen again, and going ahead was oiit of the 

 question. A quarter of a mile of this living, moving 

 ice would hold a Goliath back. 



