PASSAGE THROUGH THE ICE 



79 



The wind was strong, and after we had weighed anchor at 

 9 A.M. we made fine headway. For the first hour we did not 

 gain much; if anything, we lost; but by-and-by we worked 

 ourselves to windward, and when the fog cleared we saw that 

 we were off the entrance to Elson Bay. We had at last passed 

 Point Barrow, but seventeen days later than McClure, and with 



NATIVE HOUSES AT POINT BARROW, 



no open road eastward, where the ice was looking impenetrable. 

 At 4 P.M. we had reached the end of open water and anchored 

 about three miles east of the entrance to Elson Bay. Having 

 little less than two fathoms of water under us, we can lie safely 

 here, as the large ice cannot come in this shoal water. From 

 the crow's-nest we could see dark water-sky, probably about 

 ten miles away, but between that and us there was apparently 

 a solid sheet of ice. Of course it was broken up, but we could 

 see no lanes, and there was hardly any coast water, and what 

 little there was was too shallow for us. About eight miles 

 away we could see three steam whalers trying to force their way 

 through the ice, but as far as we could see, before the fog 

 closed down around us, they too had to give up the attempt. 



We are now in a position to use any wind except an easterly 

 one, and we all hope that it may come soon. A change in the 

 wind or the current will set the ice off land, and we shall be 

 able to get through somehow, even if we are forced to haul the 

 ship all the way to the open water, which is not very far off. 



