Next time I try them I will arm my boat's crew with lances. The rifle is a poor reliance, and, but for the oars, the herd would have been on top of us at any time.
July 4th.
THE "GLORIOUS FOURTH." The "glorious Fourth" gives us a sorry greeting—rain and hail and snow are unusual accompaniments to this national holiday. The thermometer has gone down almost to the freezing point; but, nevertheless, we have fired our salute, and have displayed our bunting, as in duty bound. Thanks to the hunters, we have had a good dinner of venison and birds, winding up with a cochlearia salad; and if we lacked the oration, we did not the less turn our thoughts to the ever dear land, where all are gay,—all alike forgetting for the time their differences of party creeds and party interests, unite together under the nation's broad banner, to hail the returning dawn of its wonderful career, and to drink bumpers to fraternal union. God bless the day!
July 7th.
I have been up to Littleton Island for three days, watching the ice, hunting, etc. We caught another walrus and had another fight, but this time we had fewer enemies, and drove them off very quickly.
Littleton and McGary Islands are literally swarming with birds, chiefly eider-ducks and burgomasters. There was no end to the number that could have been shot. The eggs have nearly all chicks in them, but fortunately we have already collected from the islands of the harbor a good supply. I found a flock of brant-geese, but could not discover their nests. The burgomaster-gulls are very numerous, but there were no ivory or other gulls, as I had hoped to find. They do not appear to come so far north.
