402 
morton’s return. 
ice around her as it sinks may take the bottom and 
hold her up clear of the danger. We have detached 
four of the massive beams that ■were intended to resist 
the lateral pressure of nips, and have placed them as 
shores, two on each side of the vessel, opposite the 
channels. Brooks has rigged a crab or capstan on the 
floe, and has passed the chain cable under the keel at 
four bearing-points. As these are hauled in by the crab 
and the vessel rises, the shores are made to take hold 
under heavy cleats spiked below the bulwarks, and in 
this manner to sustain her weight. 
“We made our first trial of the apparatus to-day. 
The chains held perfectly, and had raised the brig 
nearly three feet, when away Avent one of our chain- 
slings, and she fell back of course to her more familiar 
bearings. We will repeat the experiment to-morrow, 
using six chains, tAVO at each line of stress. 
“October 21, Saturday.—Hard at it still, slinging 
chains and planting shores. The thermometer is too 
near zero for Avork like this. We SAvaddle our feet in 
old cloth, and guard our hands Avith fur inits; but the 
cold iron bites through them all. 
“6.30 p. m. —Morton and Ilans are in, after tracking 
the Esquimaux to the loAver settlement of Etah. I 
cannot give their report to-night: the poor felloAvs are 
completely knocked up by the hardships of their march. 
Hans, Avho is always careless of poAvder and fire-arms,— 
a trait Avhich I have observed among both the Ame- 
i 
rican and the Oriental savages,—exploded liis powder- 
flask while attempting to kindle a tinder-fire. The 
