Snow crystals--Dog will not eat raven--An Arctic school--The dogs
invade us--Bear-hunting by night--Ice-artillery--Arctic
palates--Sudden rise of temperature--Harvey's idea of a sortie.
{OCT., 1857.}
{FIXED IN THE ICE.}
_3d Oct._--September has passed away and left us as a legacy to the
pack; what a month have we had of anxious hopes and fears!
Up to the 17th S.E. winds prevailed, forcing the ice into a compact
body, and urging it north-westward; subsequently N.W. winds set in,
drifting it southward, and separating the floe-pieces; but the change of
wind being accompanied by a considerable fall of temperature, they were
either quickly cemented together again, or young ice formed over the
newly opened lanes of water, almost as rapidly as the surface of the sea
became exposed. During the month the thermometer ranged between +36° and
-2°. Two more bears and a raven have been seen. A wearied ptarmigan
alighted near the ship, but before it could take wing again the dogs
caught it, and scarcely a feather remained by the time I could rush on
deck.
Our beautiful little organ was taken out of its case to-day, and put up
on the lower deck; the men enjoy its pleasing tones, whilst Christian
unceasingly turns the handle in a state of intense delight; he regards
it with such awe and admiration, and is so entranced, that one cannot
help envying him; of course he never saw one before. The instrument was
presented by the Prince Consort to the searching vessel bearing his name
which was sent out by Lady Franklin in 1851; it is now about to pass its
third winter in the frozen regions.
{SNOW CRYSTALS.}
Two dogs ran off yesterday, in the vain hope, I suppose, of bettering
their condition,--we only feed them three times a week at present; they
returned this morning.
Seals are daily seen upon the new ice, but in this doubtful sort of
light they are extremely timid, therefore our sportsmen cannot get
within shot. The bears scent or hear our dogs, and so keep aloof; even
the shark has deserted us, the bait remains intact. The snow crystals of
last night are extremely beautiful; the largest kind is an inch in
length; its form exactly resembles the end of a pointed feather. Stellar
crystals two-tenths of an inch in diameter have also fallen; these have
six points, and are the most exquisite things when seen under a
microscope. I remember noticing them at Melville Island in March, 1853,
when the temperature rose to +8°; as these were formed last night
between the temperatures of +6° and +12°, it would appear that the form
is due to a certain fixed temperature. In the sun, or even in moonlight,
all these crystals glisten most brilliantly; and as our masts and
rigging are abundantly covered with them, the 'Fox' never was so
gorgeously arrayed as she now appears.
{MONOTONOUS LIFE.}
_13th._--One day is very like another; we have to battle stoutly with
monotony; and but that each twenty-four hours brings with it necessary
though trivial duties, it would be difficult to remember the date. We
take our guns and walk long distances, but see nothing. Two of the dogs
go hunting on their own account, sometimes remaining absent all night.
What they find or do is a mystery. The weather is generally calm and
cold,--very favorable for freezing purposes at all events,--for the ice
of only three weeks' growth is two feet thick.
I hardly expect any considerable disruption of the ice before the
general break-up in the spring, yet we do not trust any of our
provisions upon it, nor is it sufficiently still to set up a magnetic
observatory, for which purpose the instruments have been supplied to us.
Petersen still hopes we may escape and get into Upernivik, as the sea is
not permanently frozen over there before December. I am surprised to
hear that eagles have been seen so far north as Upernivik, although it
is but twice in twenty-four years that specimens have been noticed
there. In Richardson's 'Fauna Boreali Americana' the extreme northern
limit of these birds is given as 66°; but Upernivik is in 72-3/4°.
{"HARNESS JACK."}
A few bear and fox tracks have been seen, but no living creatures for
several days, except a flock of ducks hastening southward, and a
solitary raven.
It is said that Esquimaux dogs will eat everything except fox and raven.
There are exceptions, however; one of ours, old "Harness Jack," devoured
a raven with much gusto some days ago. All the other dogs allowed their
harness to be taken off when they were brought on board; but old Jack
will not permit himself to be unrobed; when attempted he very plainly
threatens to use his teeth. This canine oddity suddenly became immensely
popular, by constituting himself protecting head of the establishment
when one of his tribe littered; he took up a most uncomfortable position
on top of the family cask (our _impromptu_ kennel), and prevented the
approach of all the other dogs; but for his timely interference on
behalf of the poor little puppies, I verily believe they would all have
been stolen and devoured! Dogs may do even worse than eat raven.
I have attempted some experiments for the purpose of determining the
mean hourly change of oscillation of a pendulum due to the earth's
diurnal motion; but as mine was only 11-1/2 feet in length, I failed of
any approach to accuracy. The mean of several observations gave 17°
47', whereas the change due to our latitude is about 14° 30'. A single
experiment gave 14° 10', and this was the longest in point of time of
any of them, the pendulum having swung for thirty-six minutes.
{AN ARCTIC SCHOOL.}
_24th._--Furious N.W. and S.E. gales have alternated of late; the ship
is housed over, to keep out the driving snow; so high is the snow
carried in the air that a little box perforated with small holes and
triced up 50 feet high is soon filled up; this box is supplied morning
and evening with a piece of prepared paper to detect the presence and
amount of ozone in the atmosphere; it is a peculiar pet of the Doctor's.
At eight o'clock this evening I noticed the falling of a very brilliant
meteor; it passed through the constellation of Cassiopeia in a N.N.E.
direction before terminating its visible existence, which it did very
much like a huge rocket; the flash was so brilliant that a man whose
back was turned to it mistook the illumination for lightning.
_26th._--Our school opened this evening, under the auspices of Dr.
Walker. He reports eight or nine pupils, and is much gratified by their
zeal. At present their studies are limited to the three R's--reading,
'riting, and 'rithmetic. They have asked him to read and explain
something instructive, so he intends to make them acquainted with the
trade-winds and atmosphere. This subject affords an opportunity of
explaining the uses of our thermometer, barometer, ozonometer, and
electrometer, which they see us take much interest in. It is delightful
to find a spirit of inquiry amongst them. Apart from scholastic
occupation, I give them healthful exercise in spreading a thick layer of
snow over the deck, and encasing the ship all round with a bank of the
same material.
{ICE DISTURBANCE.}
_28th._--Midnight. This evening, to our great astonishment, there
occurred a disruption and movement of the ice within 200 yards of the
ship. The night was calm; the reflection of a bright moon, aided by the
more than ordinary brilliancy of the stars upon the snowy expanse, made
it appear to us almost daylight. As I sit now in my cabin I can
distinctly hear the ice crushing; it resembles the continued roar of
distant surf, and there are many other occasional sounds; some of them
remind one of the low moaning of the wind, others are loud and harsh, as
if trains of heavy wagons with ungreased axles were slowly laboring
along. Upon a less-favored night these sounds might be appalling; even
as it is, they are sufficiently ominous to invite reflection. Cape York
has been in sight for some days past.
_29th._--Another heavenly night, and still greater ice disturbance; some
of the crushed-up pieces are nearly four feet thick. The currents,
icebergs, and changes of temperature, may contribute to this ice action;
but I think the tides are the chief cause, and for these reasons: that
it wants but two days to the full moon, and that the ice-movements are
almost confined to the night, and change their direction morning and
evening. Now we know that the night-tides in Greenland greatly exceed
the day-tides. One thing is evident--the weather continues calm,
therefore the winds are not concerned in the matter.
{NOV., 1857.}
{THE DOGS INVADE US.}
_2nd Nov._--Having observed some days ago that a few of the dogs were
falling away--from some cause or other not having put on their winter
clothing before the recent cold weather set in--they were all allowed on
board, and given a good extra meal. Since then we can scarcely keep them
out. One calm night they made a charge, and boarded the ship so suddenly
that several of the men rushed up very scantily clothed, to see what was
the matter. Vigorous measures were adopted to expel the intruders, and
there was desperate chasing round the deck with broomsticks, &c. Many of
them retreated into holes and corners, and two hours elapsed before they
were all driven out; but though the chase was hot, it was cold enough
work for the half-clad men.
Sailors use quaint expressions. The nightly foraging expeditions are
called "sorties;" they point out to me the various corners between
decks where the "ice corrodes," _i.e._, the moisture condenses and forms
frost; a ramble over the ice is called "a bit of a peruse." I presume
this indignity is offered to the word perambulation.
{BEAR-HUNTING BY NIGHT.}
There was a very sudden call "to arms" to-night. Whether sleeping,
prosing, or schooling, every one flew out upon the ice on the instant,
as if the magazine or the boiler was on the point of explosion. The
alarm of "A bear close-to, fighting with the dogs," was the cause. The
luckless beast had approached within 25 yards of the ship ere the
quartermaster's eye detected his indistinct outline against the snow; so
silently had he crept up that he was within 10 yards of some of the
dogs. A shout started them up, and they at once flew round the bear and
embarrassed his retreat. In crossing some very thin ice he broke
through, and there I found him surrounded by yelping dogs. Poor fellow!
Hobson, Young, and Petersen had each lodged a bullet in him; but these
only seemed to increase his rage. He succeeded in getting out of the
water, when, fearing harm to the numerous by-standers and dogs, or that
he might escape, I fired, and luckily the bullet passed through his
brain. He proved to be a full-grown male, 7 feet 3 inches in length. As
we all aided in the capture, it was decided that the skin should be
offered to Lady Franklin.
The carcase will feed our dogs for nearly a month; they were rewarded
on the spot with the offal. All of them, however, had not shown equal
pluck; some ran off in evident fright, but others showed no symptom of
fear, plunging or falling into the water with Bruin. Poor old Sophy was
amongst the latter, and received a deep cut in the shoulder from one of
his claws. The authorities have prescribed double allowance of food for
her, and say she will soon recover.
{THE SUN'S LAST VISIT.}
For the few moments of its duration the chase and death was exciting.
And how strange and novel the scene! A misty moon affording but scanty
light--dark figures gliding singly about, not daring to approach each
other, for the ice trembled under their feet--the enraged bear, the
wolfish howling dogs, and the bright flashes of the deadly rifles.
_3rd._--I remained up the greater part of last night taking
observations, for the evening mists had passed away, and a lovely moon
reigned over a calm enchanting night; through a powerful telescope she
resembled a huge frosted-silver melon, the large crater-like depression
answering to that part from which the footstalk had been detached. Not a
sound to break the stillness around, excepting when some hungry dog
would return to the battlefield to gnaw into the blood-stained ice.
On the 1st the sun paid us his last visit for the year, and now we take
all our meals by lamplight.
{GUY FAWKES' DAY.}
_5th._--In order to vary our monotonous routine, we determined to
celebrate the day; extra grog was issued to the crew, and also for the
first time a proportion of preserved plum-pudding. Lady Franklin most
thoughtfully and kindly sent it on board for occasional use. It is
excellent.
This evening a well-got-up procession sallied forth, marched round the
ship with drum, gong, and discord, and then proceeded to burn the effigy
of Guy Fawkes. Their blackened faces, extravagant costumes, flaring
torches, and savage yells frightened away all the dogs; nor was it until
after the fireworks were set off and the traitor consumed that they
crept back again. It was school-night, but the men were up for fun, so
gave the Doctor a holiday.
_12th._--Yesterday I had the good fortune to shoot two seals; they were
very fat and their stomachs were filled with shrimps. To-day Young and
Petersen shot three more, and many others have been seen. This is
cheering, and entices people out for hours daily. There is just enough
movement in the ice to keep a few narrow lanes and small pools of water
open; the floes or fields of ice are more inclined to spread out from
each other than to close. We have latterly been drifting before
northerly winds.
{ICE-ARTILLERY.}
_16th._--A renewal of ice-crushing within a few hundred yards of us. I
can hear it in my bed. The ordinary sound resembles the roar of distant
surf breaking heavily and continuously; but when heavy masses come in
collision with much impetus, it fully realizes the justness of Dr.
Kane's descriptive epithet, "ice artillery." Fortunately for us, our
poor little 'Fox' is well within the margin of a stout old floe: we are
therefore undisturbed spectators of ice-conflicts, which would be
irresistible to anything of human construction. Immediately about the
ship all is still, and, as far as appearances go she is precisely as she
would be in a secure harbor--housed all over, banked up with snow to her
gunwales. In fact, her winter plumage is so complete that the masts
alone are visible. The deck and the now useless sky-lights are covered
with hard snow. Below hatches we are warm and dry; all are in excellent
health and spirits, looking forward to an active campaign next winter.
God grant it may be realized!
Yesterday Young shot the fiftieth seal, an event duly celebrated by our
drinking _the_ bottle of champagne which had been set apart in more
hopeful times to be drunk on reaching the North Water--that unhappy
failure, the more keenly felt from being so very unexpected.
{ARCTIC PALATES.}
Petersen saw and fired a shot into a narwhal, which brought the blubber
out. When most Arctic creatures are wounded in the water, blubber more
frequently than blood appears, particularly if the wound is
superficial--it spreads over the surface of the water like oil. Bills
of fare vary much, even in Greenland. I have inquired of Petersen, and
he tells me that the Greenland Esquimaux (there are many Greenlanders of
Danish origin) are not agreed as to which of their animals affords the
most delicious food; some of them prefer reindeer venison, others think
more favorably of young dog, the flesh of which, he asserts, is "just
like the beef of sheep." He says a Danish captain, who had acquired the
taste, provided some for his guests, and they praised his _mutton_!
after dinner he sent for the skin of the animal, which was no other than
a large red dog! This occurred in Greenland, where his Danish guests had
resided for many years, far removed from European _mutton_. Baked puppy
is a real delicacy all over Polynesia: at the Sandwich Islands I was
once invited to a feast, and had to feign disappointment as well as I
could when told that puppy was so extremely scarce it could not be
procured in time, and therefore sucking-pig was substituted!
_19th._--A heavy southerly gale has increased the ice movements; happily
we are undisturbed. As Young was seated under the lee of a hummock,
watching for seals to pop up to breathe, the strong ice under him
suddenly cracked and separated! He escaped with a ducking, and was just
able to reach his gun from the bank ere it sank through the mixture of
snow and water.
{A LUCKY DOG.}
Yesterday we were all out; I saw only one seal, but was refreshed by the
sight of a dozen narwhals. It is a positive treat to see a living
creature of any kind. The only birds which remain are dovekies, but they
are scarce, and, being white, are very rarely visible.
The dogs are fed every second day, when 2 lbs. of seal's
flesh--previously thawed when possible--is given to each; the weaker
ones get additional food, and they all pick up whatever scraps are
thrown out; this is enough to sustain, but not to satisfy them, so they
are continually on the look-out for anything eatable. Hobson made one
very happy without intending it; he meant only to give him a kick, but
his slipper, being down at heel, flew off, and away went the lucky dog
in triumph with the prize, which of course was no more seen.
Two large icebergs drift in company with us; our relative positions have
remained pretty nearly the same for the last month.
_23rd._--A heavy gale commenced at N.E. on the 21st, and continued for
thirty-six hours unabated in force, but changed in direction to S.S.W.
It appears to have been a revolving storm, moving to the N.W. Yesterday,
as the wind approached S.E., the temperature rose to +32°; the upper
deck sloppy; the lower deck temperature during Divine Service was 75°!!
As the wind veered round to S.S.W., the wind moderated, and temperature
fell: this evening it is -7°. How is it that the S.E. wind has brought
us such a very high temperature? Even if it traversed an unfrozen sea it
could not have derived from thence a higher temperature than 29°. Has it
swept across Greenland--that vast superficies partly enveloped in
glacier, partly in snow? No, it must have been borne in the higher
regions of the atmosphere from the far south, in order to mitigate the
severity of this northern climate.
{SUDDEN RISE OF TEMPERATURE.}
Petersen tells me the same warm S.E. wind suddenly sweeps over Upernivik
in midwinter, bringing with it abundance of rain; and that it always
shifts to the S.W., and then the temperature rapidly falls: this is
precisely the change we have experienced in lat. 75°. I believe a
somewhat similar, but less remarkable, change of temperature was noticed
in Smith's Sound, lat. 78-3/4° N.
_25th._--Mild "Madeira weather," as Hobson calls it, temperature up to
+7°. By my desire Dr. Walker is occupied in making every possible
experiment upon the freezing of salt water; the first crop of ice is
salt, the second less so, the third produces drinkable water, and the
fourth is fresh. Frosty efflorescence appears upon ice formed at low
temperatures in calm weather--it is brine expressed by the act of
freezing. We need not wonder that dogs, when driven hard over this ice,
which soon cuts their feet, suffer intense pain, and often fall down in
fits; nor that snow, falling upon young (sea) ice, wholly or partially
thaws, even when the temperature is but little above zero; when near the
freezing-point the young ice thus coated over becomes sludgy and unsafe.
{THE DOGS' SORT_EE_.}
_29th._--Keen, biting, N.W. winds. No cracks in the ice, therefore no
seals. Grey dawn at ten o'clock, and dark at two. The moon is everywhere
the sailor's friend, she is a source of comfort to us here. Nothing to
excite conversation, except an occasional inroad of the dogs in search
of food; this generally occurs at night. Whenever the deck-light, which
burns under the housing happens to go out, they scale the steep snow
banking and rush round the deck like wolves. "Why, bless you, Sir, the
wery moment that there light goes out, and the quartermaster turns his
back, they makes a regular sort_ee_, and in they all comes." "But _where
do_ they come in, Harvey?" "Where, Sir? why everywheres; they makes no
more to do, but in they comes, clean over all." Not long ago old Harvey
was chief quartermaster in a line-of-battle ship, and a regular magnet
to all the younger midshipmen. He would spin them yarns by the hour
during the night-watches about the wonders of the sea, and of the Arctic
regions in particular--its bears, its icebergs, and still more terrific
"auroras, roaring and flashing about the ship enough to frighten a
fellow"!
{PROXIMITY OF OPEN SEA.}
_30th._--Severe cold has arrived with the full moon; eight days ago the
thermometer stood at the freezing-point, it is now 64° below it! So dark
is it now that I was able to observe an eclipse of Jupiter's first
satellite before three o'clock to-day. For the last two months we have
drifted freely backwards and forwards before N.W. and S.E. winds; each
time we have gained a more off-shore position, being gradually separated
further and further from the land by fresh growths of ice, which
invariably follow up every ice-movement. In this manner we have been
thrust out to the S.W. 80 miles from the nearest land, and into that
free space which in autumn was open water, and which we then vainly
struggled to reach.
That the ice has been most free to move in this direction is additional
evidence of the recent proximity of an open sea, and shows that in all
probability--I had almost said certainty--we should have sailed, or at
least drifted into it, had it not been for those enemies to all
progress, the grounded bergs.