20 MY ARCTIC JOURNAL 



mens, one weighing twenty-six pounds, and the other thirty- 

 three pounds. 



Sunday, July 5. All night we steamed along slowly, but at 

 8 A. M. we were forced once more to stop. The day has been 

 very disagreeable, foggy, rainy, and even snowy. We have 

 done nothing but eat and sleep. A lazily hovering ivory- 

 gull, which ventured within near gunshot, has been added to 

 our collections. 



Tuesday, July 7. The weather yesterday was dreary and 

 disagreeable, but to-day it seems warmer. The snow has 

 ceased falling, although the sky is still overcast, and the fog 

 prevents us from seeing the horizon. At noon the sun came 

 through the clouds for a few moments, and the fog lifted 

 sufficiently for the captain to make an observation and find 

 that our position was latitude 74° 51'. During the afternoon 

 the wind died down, and an attempt was made to get through 

 the ice ; but after boring and ramming the immovable pack 

 for nearly an hour, and gaining only a ship's length, we con- 

 cluded that we were burning coal for nothing. Mr. Peary, 

 with Gibson, Astrup, Cook, and Matt, has been busy all the 

 afternoon sawing, marking, and fitting the lumber for our 

 Whale Sound cottage. The curing of a large number of 

 ' drake-skins, intended to be made up into undershirts for 

 winter wear, was a part of the da}''s work. 



Thursday, July 9. Yesterday and to-day the fog lifted 

 sufficiently at times to permit us to see the land, about forty 

 miles distant. A good observation places us in latitude 74° 



