Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/163



Our object in this journey was chiefly to determine whether the glacier had movement; and for this purpose we followed the very simple and efficient plan of Professor Agassiz in his Alpine surveys. First we placed two stakes in the axis of the glacier, and carefully measured the distance between them; then we planted two other stakes nearly midway between these and the sides of the glacier; and then we set the theodolite over each of these stakes in succession, and connected them by angles with each other and with fixed objects on the mountain-side. These angles will be repeated next spring, and I shall by this means know whether the glacier is moving down the valley, and at what rate.

On this, as on every other occasion when we have attempted to do any thing requiring carefulness and deliberation, the wind came to embarrass us. The temperature alone gives us little concern. Although it may be any number of degrees below zero, we do not mind it, for we have become accustomed to it; but the wind is a serious inconvenience, especially when our occupations, as in the present instance, do not admit of active exercise. It is rather cold work handling the instrument; but the tangent screws have been covered with buckskin, and we thus save our fingers from being "burnt," as our little freezings are quite significantly called.

I purpose making a still further exploration of this glacier to-morrow, and will defer until then any further description of it.

During my absence the hunters have not been idle. Barnum has killed six deer; Jensen shot two and Hans nine; but the great event has been the sailing-*master's birthday dinner; and I returned on board