174 WATER ON THE ICEBEUGS. 



We saw Solomon sitting on the windlass 

 shortly after having taken his two pills and 

 two powders. His face was a perfect study 

 for an artist, and indicated anything but confi- 

 dence in my medical treatment ; I am afraid 

 that it even betrayed a slight suspicion that I 

 had poisoned him in revenge for his losing the 

 big bull-walrus, whose escape I have before 

 narrated. 



hth. — "We are still in the same place where 

 we parted from the " Ginevra," as we can 

 make no progress to the north-east with both 

 wind and current against us. This is the more 

 vexatious and tantalising, as the brief Arctic 

 summer is slipping fast away, and this is such 

 a splendid day that we keep fancying many 

 walruses must be being killed in the direction 

 of the bank and Ryk-Yse Island. 



We moored to a flat tabular iceberg, to fill 

 up the Avater-casks. Even sea-ice, as is well- 

 known, makes drinkably fresh water, and most 

 of the flat slabs have a hollow in the surface 

 filled with water from the melted snow, so 

 that we are never at any loss for fresh water. 



Qth. — We met a small schooner, and heard 

 from the master of the great battle of Solferino, 

 and also that Oscar, king of Norway and 



