38 MELVILLE BAY. Chap. III. 



CHAPTEK III. 



Melville Bay — Beset in Melville Bay — Signs of winter — The 

 coming storm — Drifting in the pack — Canine appetite — 

 Resigned to a winter in the pack — Dinner stolen by sharks — 

 ITae Arctic shark — White whales and Killers. 



l^tJi Aug. — Three days of tlie most perfect calm 

 have sadly taxed our patience. Lovely brigtit 

 weather, but scarcely a living creature seen. 

 This afternoon the anxiously-looked-for north 

 wind sprang up, and immediately the light ice 

 began to drift away before it, but it is not 

 strong enough to influence the icebergs, and 

 they greatly retard the clearing-out of the bay. 

 We have noticed a constant wind off the glacier, 

 probably the result of its cooling effect upon the 

 atmosphere ; this wind does not extend more 

 than 3 or 4 miles out from it. 



l^th. — One of the loveliest mornings ima- 

 ginable : the icebergs sparkled in the sun, and 

 the breeze was just sufficiently strong to ripple 

 the patches of dark blue sea ; beyond this, there 

 was nothing to cheer one in the prospect from 

 the Crow's-nest at four o'clock ; but little change 

 had taken place in the ice ; I therefore deter- 



