VOYAGE THROUGH THE KARA SEA 233 



following the ice-edge in that direction would soon force 

 us south again. So in the meantime we made fast to a 

 great ice-block, and prepared to clean the boiler and shift 

 coals. " We are lying in open water, with only a few 

 large floes here and there ; but I have a presentiment 

 that this is our winter harbor. 



" Great bug war to-day. We play the big steam hose 

 on mattresses, sofa-cushions — everything that we think 

 can possibly harbor the enemies. All clothes are put 

 into a barrel, which is hermetically closed, except where 

 the hose is introduced. Then full steam is set on. It 

 whizzes and whistles inside, and a little forces its way 

 through the joints, and we think that the animals must 

 be having a fine hot time of it. Hut suddenly the barrel 

 cracks, the steam rushes out, and the lid bursts off with 

 a violent explosion, and is flung far along the deck. 

 I still hope that there has been a great slaughter, for 

 these are horrible enemies. Juell tried the old experi- 

 ment of setting one on a piece of wood to see if it 

 would creep north. It would not move at all, so he took 

 a blubber hook and hit it to make it go ; but it would 

 do nothing but wriggle its head — the harder he hit the 

 more it wriggled. ' Squash it, then,' said Bentzen. And 

 squashed it was. 



"Friday, September 23d. We are still at the same 

 moorings, working at the coal. An unpleasant contrast 

 — everything on board, men and dogs included, black 

 and filthy, and everything around white and bright in 



