Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/217

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and the temperature is 16° below zero. The effect of the gale has been to drive the ice away again from the outer bay, and we are once more within the sound of the roaring surf.

November 8th.

The air having become somewhat more quiet, I walked out to-day to the open water. Knorr accompanied me. The view from the margin of the ice was dark and fearful. Heavy mist-clouds hung over the sea. Loose ice-fields were drifting through the blackness, crashing harshly against each other, and sending the spray gleaming into the moonlight. The icebergs stood out here and there in stern defiance of the jarring elements, while the tumbling seas struck the white foam far up their lofty sides; and out of the gloom came a wail, as of

"a thousand ghosts, Shrieking at once on the hollow wind."

On our way back, Knorr, who has much skill in getting himself into trouble, failed in a spring as we were making our way over some loose floes, and he plumped bodily into the sea. The accident was not less dangerous than disagreeable; for after I had dragged him out of the water there were almost two miles between us and the schooner. Fortunately he arrived on board after a vigorous run with nothing worse than a frozen foot, which did not, however, result in any inconvenience greater than the pain, since my former experience readily suggested the proper remedies. The frozen member was first placed in ice-cold water, the temperature of which was slowly increased from hour to hour until the flesh was completely thawed out. There was no resulting inflammation, and the foot came from the bath without even a blister.