150 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. Septkmh 





and * Discovery,' it was necessary to inch ice in the 

 coppers in addition to the small quantity of water 

 obtainable from the snow tanks. 



During the damp and variable weather, the dogs 

 suffered much from cramp, many of them having fits. 

 Their favourite place for lying down was near the 

 warm galley funnel ; this being evidently not conducive 

 to health they were landed, with Frederick to take 

 care of them, until the ice formed sufficiently strong to 

 enable our communicating readily with the shore. ■ So 

 anxious were they to return on board that one was 

 drowned by breaking through the ice, and several 

 narrowly escaped. During Lieutenant Aldrich's jour- 

 ney a dog ran away from the sledge in a fit on 

 September 12 ; it returned to the ship on the 20th, 

 naturally in very poor condition but apparently cured 

 of its disorder. 



The darkness by night closed in with unusual 

 quickness. In high latitudes, though longer delayed, 

 the darkness increases daily with much greater rapidity 

 than at positions farther south. A star was seen for 

 the first time since crossing the Arctic circle at mid- 

 night of the 20th ; the sun being then six degrees below 

 the north horizon. 



With the object of exploring the land about Cape 

 Joseph Henry before the arrival of the main party, 

 Lieutenant Aldrich, with Frederick and two seamen, 

 Ayles and Simmons, started on the 22nd, with fourteen 

 dogs dragging two sledges laden with fourteen days 

 provisions. The dogs were allowanced at the rate of 

 two pounds of preserved meat daily. Michael, the 

 dog that had lately been absent on his own resources, 



