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Transcription
water weighing more than a thousand pounds. Aug. 3. Temp. water 411 Bottom 22 fathoms. Air 40 to 45. Thick weather all night, lighted somewhat near 6 A.M. Got under way about 7:45 for Wrangel Land once more. 8:30 getting thick, will not likely go far today. Lay to about 9 A.M. Cleared at 2 P.M. and got under way at 2:30. Wrangel Land seen distinctly, the clouds rolling away from its dark-blue looking mountains. At 4:30 P.M. the new land is perhaps 20 miles or more away, the ice is getting heavier and more closely packed, so it is already evident that we shall not be able to reach the shore at this time. At 6 we turn away once more, biding our time. The ice, though in large cakes ½ mile to more than a mile in dia. yet the air and water both being considerably above the freezing point, it is wasting fast and there can scarce be doubt of our success in a week or two, unless the winds and currents should be unfavorable. The bottom of the ocean in that region is very level. Soundings made every hour for 3 days scarcely varied more than 5 fathoms, and for half a day not one fathom. We saw several small fishes among the ice at our nearest point to lee;
Date Original
1881
Source
Original journal dimensions: 11.5 x 21 cm.
Resource Identifier
MuirReel27Journal02P057A.tif
Publisher
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library
Rights Management
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Keywords
John Muir, journals, drawings, writings, travel, journaling, naturalist
