726 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



ward. At 11.20 attempted to land for dinner, but took 

 the ground three hundred yards from beach. Pro- 

 ceeded under sail, while dinner was on hand. At three 

 rounded South Cape. Saw several piles of timber, or 

 old huts. At 5.30 attempted to land for supper and 

 camp, but took ground five hundred yards from beach. 

 Whaleboat lightened could not get nearer than three 

 hundred yards. Concluded to go on under sail all night. 

 Barometer 30.42 at 29°. Temperature of air at three 

 p. m. 28°, of water 33°. Tidal action two feet five 

 inches. Ducks, owls, snipe, seals. 



Accordingly we proceeded, and believing myself to 

 be clear of the sand bank, I shaped a course west south- 

 west, which giving us the wind nearly aft, was an easy 

 one to make. The breeze freshened, and we went along 

 at a fair rate until ten p. m., when, to my surprise, we 

 saw ice ahead and on both bows, and all at once we 

 stuck fast in the mud. We had encountered an arm of 

 this sand bank, and the ice was small pieces grounded 

 at its edge. From this time until midnight w r e were 

 fully occupied in tacking and pulling to keep in water 

 deep enough to float us. The night was very dark, and 

 altogether our surroundings were wretched ; two feet 

 of water seemed to be all we could find, and then eight 

 feet, suddenly changing to two feet again. We had no 

 anchors, and nothing except pemmican heavy enough 

 to use instead. As our pemmican tins are all " holey," 

 the use would involve wet and condemned food. I tried 

 to make an anchor out of a pickaxe and tent-pole, but 

 it would not bite. I next tried to hold my boat by 

 driving tent-poles in the mud, but she broke away. 

 Sleep was impossible for anybody, and we waited in 

 wretched discomfort for the morning's light. 



September 1st, Thursday. — At two a. m. sufficient 



