That's not the morning work, is it?
I'm glad to find that your new dresses," he added with a significant smile, "make you fond of rough work in the snow; there's plenty of it before us .-- Come down below with me, Meetuck; I wish to talk with you." As the captain descended to the cabin the men gave a final cheer, and in ten minutes they were working laboriously at their various duties.
Buzzby and his party were the first ready and off to cut moss.

They drew a sledge after them towards the red-snow valley, which was not more than two miles distant from the ship.

This "mossing," as it was termed, was by no means a pleasant duty.

Before the winter became severe, the moss could be cut out from the beds of the snow streams with comparative ease; but now the mixed turf of willows, heaths, grasses, and moss was frozen solid, and had to be quarried with crowbars and carried to the ship like so much stone.

However, it was prosecuted vigorously, and a sufficient quantity was soon procured to pack on the deck of the ship, and around its sides, so as to keep out the cold.