up to their knees in water frequently during the day, with the
thermometer generally at 12°, and never higher than 16°. At six
P.M. we began to move the ships. The Griper was made fast astern
of the Hecla, and the two ships' companies being divided on each
bank of the canal, with ropes from the Hecla's gangways, soon drew
the ships along to the end of our second day's work.

Sunday, 26th.--I should on every account have been glad to make
this a day of rest to the officers and men; but the rapidity with
which the ice increased in thickness, in proportion as the general
temperature of the atmosphere diminished, would have rendered a
day's delay of serious importance. I ordered the work, therefore,
to be continued at the usual time in the morning; and such was the
spirited and cheerful manner in which this order was complied
with, as well as the skill which had now been acquired in the art
of sawing and sinking the ice, that although the thermometer was
at 6° in the morning, and rose no higher than 9° during the day,
we had completed the canal at noon, having effected more in four
hours than on either of the two preceding days. The whole length
of this canal was four thousand and eighty-two yards, or nearly
two miles and one third, and the average thickness of the ice was
seven inches.

At half past one P.M. we began to track the ships along in the
same manner as before, and at a quarter past three we reached our
winter-quarters, and hailed the event with three loud and hearty
cheers from both ships' companies. The ships were in five fathoms
water, a cable's length from the beach on the northwestern side of
the harbour, to which I gave the name of WINTER HARBOUR; and I
called the group of islands which we had discovered in the Polar