THE NEW SIBERIAN ISLANDS. 727 



light for going ahead and seeing our way. Managed to 

 get the first cutter and whaleboat around the edge of 

 the bank by pulling and tacking, but we got so far 

 ahead of the second cutter that she was lost to view. 

 At six a. m. I ran alongside a grounded floeberg (in six 

 feet of water), and while we were waiting for the 

 second cutter got breakfast. 



At 7.10 Chipp hove in sight, and I got under way 

 again. Before this, however, we had pitched tents for 

 eating, and were nearly drowned out by the sea break- 

 ing over as the tide rose. Stood along good full with 

 an E. S. E. wind. Barometer 30.42 at 41°. Tempera- 

 ture I do not know. On the port tack, and kept a 

 man in the bows sounding with a tent-pole. Suddenly 

 shoaled to three feet, and before I could get around, 

 stuck fast. Whaleboat tried to drag me off, but got me 

 on a reef, and we nearly filled the boat with water. 

 Got off and proceeded with freshening wind and deep- 

 ening water, on south southwest course until noon, 

 southwest after eight, and at three, west southwest. 

 Increased water to forty-four feet, at twelve ; five fath- 

 oms, at tw T o ; five and a half, at three ; eight and a 

 half, at four; nine and a half, at five; when having lost 

 sight of second cutter, ran alongside floe to wait for her. 

 We were making excellent time. The first cutter and 

 whaleboat going at times five to six knots an hour. 

 The sea was increasing somewhat, and unless we kept 

 our boats going ahead full speed, the water would have 

 come over our rails in too large quantities for our con- 

 trol ; as it was, a sea would come in occasionally, wetting 

 us to the skin and forcing us to bail, as well as pump 

 constantly. I almost welcomed some little streams of 

 drift ice, for they gave smoother water under their lee, 

 though presenting nothing large enough to hang on to 



