BENNETT ISLAND. 673 



our march over the frozen sea have had no bad effect. 

 Our bear is so nearly consumed that for supper we have 

 only half our usual ration to serve out. (In five meals 

 we have eaten about 250 pounds bear meat. The gross 

 weight was probably 450 pounds.) The only trace our 

 marching shows on us is tender feet, and that probably 

 arises from their being so often wet. Wading through 

 pools would make wet feet if our foot gear was changed 

 every hour. 



Chipp described to me the queer way in which the 

 man on watch " calls " his relief. Instead of calling 

 him, which would wake everybody else up, or of crawl- 

 ing over to him, which would also awaken everybody, 

 a boat-hook is employed. Chipp says, while awake the 

 other night he saw, to his amazement, a boat-hook 

 slowly coming through his tent door, and poising a mo- 

 ment over Sharvell, poke him vigorously in the back. 

 To show how soundly the man slept, it is worthy of 

 mention that he merely tried to brush it away, as a 

 troublesome fly. This ought to make a good Arctic 

 sketch. 



At six p. m. had supper. At 6.45 the fog lifted a 

 little, and showed us the land, seemingly about half a 

 mile off. We have drifted along shore since last even- 

 ing, and have left on our right hand the glacier which 

 we were in front of last night ; but ahead of us, and 

 apparently extending in to the land, was a very heavy 

 floe of blue ice, separated from us by a few insignif- 

 icant openings. Such a chance was not to be lost. 

 All hands were at once turned to, and at 7.15 we went 

 ahead with all four sleds, officers dragging also, and 

 then bounced along the boats, and in one hour we had 

 everything on the heavy floe. This we now found to 

 be one and one half miles in width upon going over it, 

 43 



