76 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. JULY 



more ; but she is still borne up about two feet above 

 her ordinary draught of water. 



' The last of the stores have been embarked from 

 the shore, and we are now ready to start south at a 

 few hours' notice. Mr. Wootton is naturally anxious 

 to try the engines after their having been dismantled 

 during the winter ; but owing to our reduced stock 

 of coal I cannot spare him any for the purpose, and 

 trust that everything will be correct when the order 

 is given to start. 



' Great trouble has been experienced in fixing the 

 screw ; like in the autumn, when lowered to its right 

 position, the shaft could not be entered to within three 

 inches of the end : we have now discovered this to be 

 caused by an accumulation of ice in the boss of the 

 screw. The nearly fresh- water at the sea surface at a 

 temperature slightly above 32, carried down inside 

 the screw-hole to the colder and salter stratum below 

 at a temperature of 29, became quickly frozen and 

 plugged the screw before the shaft could be entered, 

 By removing the plate at the after end, and lowering 

 the screw down slowly, after it had been thoroughly 

 warmed in the air at a temperature of 40, and thus 

 permitting the salt-water to take the place of the fresh 

 more readily, the difficulty was overcome. 



' A notice paper has been placed inside the cairn 

 on the summit of the look-out hill. It contains full 

 information of our doings, with the names of all the 

 officers and ships' company s of the two vessels. The 

 notice is written in indian ink and placed inside a glass 

 tube closed at each end over a spirit lamp it should 

 last for ages. 



