IN THE MELVILLE BAY PACK 



19 



swimming, in the water, and in a minute the boys were climb- 

 ing helter-skelter over the sides of the " Kite," all with guns, 



although some soon discovered that theirs were not loaded ; 



but the bear turned out to be a seal, and 



not one of about thirty shots hit him. 



It is now nearly 1 1 P. M. The sun is 



shining beautifully, and it is perfectly 



calm. I have worn only a gray spring 



jacket, which I have found sufficient for 



the balmy temperature. At midnight 



the cannon was fired, the flags were 



run up and dipped, and the boys fired 



their rifles and gave three cheers for 



the Fourth of July. The thermometer 



marked 3 i °. 



Saturday, July 4. The ice remains 

 stubborn, and we are fast bound. All 

 around the eye sees nothing but the 

 immovable pack, here smooth as a table, 

 at other places tossed up into long hum- 

 mock-ridges which define the individual 

 ice-cakes. Occasional lanes of water 

 appear and disappear, and their presence gives us the one 

 hope of an early disentanglement. The event of the day has 

 been a dinner to Captain Pike, in which most of the members 

 of our party participated. After dinner hunting-parties scoured 

 the ice after seals, with the result of bringing in two speci- 



' A Bear ! A Bear ! " 



