72 THE LOG OF THE 



I Position Off Cape Kihkcrtaksook, 

 Sunday, September ^th < Weather Cloudy 



I Wind None 



ALL the morning and early afternoon was calm but our good 

 jTx. friend the current carried us along slowly down through a great 

 fleet of bergs. Three fishermen were visible sneaking along close to 

 the shore. It was strange to see the wireless mast on the hill. For- 

 tunately it was Sunday so we did not have to think of even trying to 

 get in. 



Jack tried "fisherman's brew" for lunch. This consists of hard 

 bread boiled with bits of pork. It had no taste at all. Some tried it as 

 a cereal putting sugar on it, others used salt and pepper and even 

 mustard. To please Jack we threw half of it overboard while he was 

 not looking. They feed the Newfoundland sealing crews almost en- 

 tirely on this stuff as they have only one cook for 150 men. It cer- 

 tainly is filling but a bit too much like slops. 



During the afternoon I lost my fountain pen overboard while 

 shifting over the jib sheet. The pennant for the boom-tackle also 

 slipped over so it has been a record day for "casualities." It was 

 sunny and almost warm most of the day and everybody sat around 

 the deck reading. 



During the early evening we drifted down through the thickest ice 

 we have ever been through yet. As we never had control of the 

 schooner it was very exciting trying to keep from drifting onto the 

 bergs. At one time we were twenty feet away from a large one. 



Before midnight we sailed two miles. Whoever told us to expect 

 strong westerly gales all September could never have been here. Dull, 

 overcast calms more nearly describe the last few days. I got particu- 

 larly discouraged this evening with our progress. 



The middle watch sailed four miles but the rest of the night we 

 drifted in "spirals." 



