Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/227

 whole outer bay with ice, and the crystal plain extends as far as the eye will carry over the Sound.

The tide-register works quite well, but the youngsters complain bitterly of the trouble in keeping the fire-hole clear of ice, and of reading the ice-coated knots in the darkness. Starr slipped partly into the hole to-day, and nearly ruined the instrument by grasping it for support. The readings are generally quite accurate, but to guard against serious error I have my own way of making a check upon the ice-*foot. We have to-day 9 feet 7 inches between ebb and flood.

The poor foxes have become the innocent victims of a new excitement. They are very numerous, and the officers are after them with dead-falls, traps, and guns. Their skins are very fine and pretty, and make warm coats, although I do not perceive that they are used for this purpose; but they go instead into the very safest corners of their lockers. Doubtless "there's a lady in the case."

November 18th.

A calm, cold, clear, quiet day, marked by no unusual event other than the appearance of the second number of "The News." Radcliffe brought it out, and there was another bright evening in this darkness-beleaguered schooner.

November 19th.

Our quiet life has been disturbed by a mysterious event. I have often mentioned in these pages the ludicrous rivalry which grew up between the two Esquimaux, Hans and Peter. Both have been useful, but their motives have been very different. One has shown, like Mr. Wemmick, a laudable desire to get hold of "portable property" by fair means; the other