268 
CHRISTMAS. 
drift. We could not read print, not even large news- 
paper type, at noonday. We have been unable to leave 
the ship unarmed for some time on account of the 
bears. We remember the story of poor Barentz, one 
of our early predecessors. One of our crew, Blinn, a 
phlegmatic Dutchman, walked out to-day toward the 
lead, a few hundred yards off, in search of a seal-hole. 
Suddenly a seal rose close by him in the sludge-ice : 
he raised his gun to fire ; and, at the same instant, a 
large bear jumped over the floe, and by a dive followed 
the seal. Blinn's musket snapped. He was glad to 
get on board again, and will remember his volunteer 
hunt. Thermometer, minimum, —18°; maximum, 
— 6°. A beautiful paraselene yesterday! ! 
''December 28, Monday. Perfect darkness! Drift 
unknown. Winds nearly at rest, with the exception 
of a little gasp from the westward. Thermometer 
never below —12°, nor above —7°. 
''December 24, Tuesday. ' Through utter darkness 
borne!' 
"December 25. ' Christmas of y^ Arctic cruisers !' 
Our Christmas passed without a lack of the good things 
of this life. ' Goodies' we had galore ; but that best 
of earthly blessings, the communion of loved sympa- 
thies, these Arctic cruisers had not. It was curious to 
observe the depressing influences of each man's home 
thoughts, and absolutely saddening the effort of each 
man to impose upon his neighbor and be very boon and 
jolly. We joked incessantly, but badly, and laughed 
incessantly, but badly too ; ate of good things, and 
drank up a moiety of our Heidsiek ; and then we sang 
negro songs, wanting only tune, measure, and harmony, 
but abounding in noise ; and after a closing bumper 
to Mr. G-rinnell, adjourned with creditable jollity from 
table to the theatre. 
