BENNETT ISLAND. 683 



Alexey, Aneguin, five dogs, and a dog sled, and remain 

 away forty-eight hours for that purpose. He will start 

 after dinner, carrying provisions, lime juice, sleeping- 

 bags, knapsacks, arms, and ammunition, and a compass, 

 glass, and measuring line. I have instructed him to 

 take all possible bearings and sketches, and if he is 

 able to get up a hill-side to look carefully southwest 

 for land. At two p. m. he started, to be back by or 

 before noon on Tuesday, August 2d. 



The bird-hunters were out again this afternoon, but 

 with rather poor luck. They barely got enough for 

 supper. The birds are becoming shy, and at the first 

 rock hove clown from above fly out in clouds and keep 

 on the wing. Hundreds and perhaps thousands remain 

 in the niches and crevices, but they are out of reach 

 and out of sight. Melville experimented with the coal 

 to-day, using a stove built of stones. The fire burned 

 until choked with its own ashes. The result gave fifty 

 per cent, of combustible matter, though of course we 

 could make no quantitative analysis. The shale and 

 slate burned with it, giving forth a gas like coal gas, or 

 petroleum gas. No sulphur evident. The coal was 

 merely the out-croppings of a vein extending down the 

 mountain side abreast the camp, and picked oft* easily ; 

 and further back, or deeper, the coal was no doubt bet- 

 ter. Hematite, from which brown metallic paint is 

 made, was also found. 



Dinner at one, supper at 7.30. All three meals to- 

 day have been of murres, old and young. Delicious 

 food ! For a change from stew, our ordinary way of 

 cooking, we in No. 1 had them fried for supper in bear's 

 fat, and a more luxurious meal I do not recollect having 

 had. I must here note that our water supply is ob- 

 tained from streams running down the mountain side, 

 sweet and fresh. 



