100 HANGING ON TO FLOE-EDGE. Chap. VI. 



A gull and a few terns appeared to-day ; these 

 are the first of our summer visitors. The tem- 

 perature improves ; yesterday at one o'clock it 

 was + 19° in the shade, 4- 15° in the crow's-nest 

 70 feet high, and +51° against a black surface 

 exposed to the sun. 



IQth. — Last night a bear came to the ship, 

 was wounded, but escaped ; to-day the tracks 

 were followed up for three miles, the bear found, 

 and again wounded — finally the unlucky beast 

 was shot in the water seven miles from the ship ; 

 it was lost in consequence of the rapid drifting 

 of the ice, which ran over the floating carcase. 



To-night a dense fog-bank rests upon the 

 water to the southward ; its upper edge is illumi- 

 nated by aurora, showing a faint tremulous light. 



llth. — Another northerly gale; holding fast 

 to the ice with three hawsers ; snow-drift limits 

 the view to a couple of miles, so all to the east- 

 ward appears water, and to the westward ice. 



Last night the ice opened considerably ; to 

 secure the ship occupied us for six hours ; several 

 of the dogs were again cut off ; as the ice they 

 were on was rapidly drifting away, I sent a 

 boat to recover them ; it was a difficult . and 

 hazardous business, but at length the boat and 

 dogs returned in safety, to my great relief, for 

 it was both dark and late. 



