THE NEW SIBERIAN ISLANDS. 729 



tained by anybody during the night, and we devoted 

 the day to making up our deficiencies of two nights. 

 The gale tore around us unheeded, and were it not for 

 the second cutter's separation from us, it would have 

 been comfort to me. But anxiety and care seem to be 

 my steady companions now, and they are doubled in 

 intensity. 



During the afternoon Nindemann saw the land bear- 

 ing from west to northwest, and he thinks seven miles 

 distant. The snow let up for a time, and occasional 

 lulls were noticeable in the wind. At six p. m. the tem- 

 perature was 29°. Thick snow again falling. Sound- 

 ings four and a half fathoms water. Drift not so rapid. 

 Lest Mr. Chipp and his party should be within a short 

 distance unseen and unseeing, I had a black flag pre- 

 pared and hoisted at our mast-head as a signal. 



Piped down at nine p. m. So much ice has closed 

 around us that it is hard to believe we came here 

 through open water. No longer is the ice navigable 

 for our boats, and a shift of wind alone can send it 

 streaming away- To the westward it is held by Kotel- 

 noi Island, and to the nortlrward by the sand bank, and 

 all the movement that is now taking place is simply the 

 massing together. 



September 3d, Saturday. — Called all hands at six. 

 Strong breeze S. E., though not a gale by any means. 

 Nothing seen of the second cutter or her people. Tem- 

 perature 29°. Soundings twenty-two feet water. Wa- 

 ter in sight to north and northwest (probably the water 

 to edge of sand bank), and strong appearance of land 

 west to west northwest. 



Up to noon the wind moderated considerably, and 

 the sun made several efforts to struggle through the 

 clouds. I was in strong hopes that the gale was over, 



