736 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



bone in spite of the ration of brandy which the doctor 

 had given me when I was hauled out, and I was as 

 anxious as anybody to get a fire made to stand in front 

 of to dry by. Chipp said he saw thousands of ducks 

 fly around a point as he came in, but though I at once 

 sent Mr. Newcomb away with his shot-gun, he, at the 

 end of an hour, brought back only one gull, and six 

 miserable little sandpipers, about the size of a fly. 

 While under way, he shot and secured two ducks, and 

 I was anxious for more. The announcement was made 

 that deer droppings were here, and in anticipation of 

 what the barren spot might give us to-morrow, we sat 

 down to a pint of beef-tea, six ounces of pemmican, and 

 one pint of tea without sugar. By this time, we had a 

 roaring fire going, however, and though choked by 

 smoke and scorched by sparks, we stood around it and 

 steamed ourselves into partial dryness. Some of the 

 wood was marked with axe cuts and one piece was cut 

 for a log-house. 



The S. E. g-ale blew harder than ever, and dark nio-ht 

 shut in at nine o'clock. Standing by the fire, with my 

 congregation holding wet stockings and other gear to 

 dry meanwhile, I read divine service at 8.30. Though 

 it was the first Sunday in the month and the Articles 

 of War were in order, I postponed them to a more fav- 

 orable occasion. When anybody felt like it, he crawled 

 into bed. 



September 6th, Monday. — Called all hands at six 

 a. m. Breakfasted at seven. More of a gale than 

 ever, with blinding snow-storm. Wind E. S. E. Ba- 

 rometer 29.76 at 32°. Temperature 28.5°. No chance 

 to send out anybody in quest of game, so we must eat 

 our pemmican and wait for something else. I am more 

 and more thankful that I have even a sand spit to live 



