VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE (1880) 151 



Jeannette was only 150 miles from the point where she 

 was first beset. 



Preparations for winter had again to be made : a deck- 

 house was erected, a porch was built around the cook- 

 house, snow was banked against the ship's side, and 

 various alterations were made for the greater comfort of 

 the crew. On the 29th September, when fresh meat was 

 nearly gone, a bear weighing 943| lb. before skinning 

 was killed, and another was obtained next day. 



The sun disappeared on the 6th November, and on this 

 day the temperature was 30° below zero at noon. Severe 

 ice pressures were again experienced, but did not excite so 

 much alarm as did those of the first winter. On the 

 30th November the 74th degree of latitude had been 

 reached for the second time. 



A bear weio-hino; 800 lb. was killed on the 2nd 

 December. On the 11th December the temperature was 

 39° below zero, and the ice gave loud reports like the 

 discharges of heavy guns. De Long believed that the 

 noise was due to the splitting of the ice under contraction 

 caused by the intense cold. At midnight on the 15th 

 December the temperature was — 48°. On the 21st a post- 

 mortem was made on another dog, and the cause of death 

 was ascertained to be the presence in the intestines of 

 several mutton-bones, two pieces of a tin can, a piece of 

 cloth, and the fag end of a rope. Christmas Eve was 

 spent in the enjoyment of a minstrel entertainment, and 

 Christmas had a more than usually elaborate dinner, 

 consisting of soup, roast seal, apple jelly, tongue, 

 macaroni, tomatoes, mince pies, plum pudding, figs, 

 raisins, dates, nuts, candy, chocolate, and coffee. 



The year 1881 was welcomed by another entertainment 

 by the "Jeannette Minstrels." The ship was now 220 

 miles north-west of where it was first beset, and the whole 

 party, with the exception of Danenhower, were in good 



