ld be seen. The breeze
freshened up to a gale from the S.S.E. as we proceeded, and the
men, as if determined not to forget that they were sailors, set a
large blanket upon the cart as a sail, which, upon the present
level ground, was found to be of material assistance. The snow was
deep and rather soft, which made the travelling heavy; and as the
wind produced a good deal of snowdrift, most of the bare patches
of ground became covered up, so that, when our time for halting
had arrived, not a piece of ground could be seen on which to pitch
the tents. Captain Sabine and myself went forward to look out for
a spot, and at length were fortunate to meet with one, on which
there was just room for our little encampment. It was with some
difficulty, by building a wall with stones and our knapsacks, that
we prevented its being covered with snow before the party came up,
which they did at half past seven A.M., having travelled ten miles
in a N.W.b.N. direction.

By the time we had secured the tents the wind blew hard, with a
continued fall, as well as drift of snow, so that we could not but
consider ourselves fortunate in having met with a spot of ground
in good time. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, we
found the tents afford us very comfortable and sufficient shelter,
the cart being tilted up to windward of them, so as to break up
some measure the violence of the wind; and, when wrapped up, or,
rather, enclosed in our blanket bags, we were generally quite warm
enough to enjoy the most sound and refreshing repose.

It continued to blow and snow till seven P.M., when the wind
having veered to the S.W., and become more moderate, we struck the
tents; and having now placed the men's knapsacks on the cart, to
enable them to drag with greater facility, we proceeded on our
journey to the northward. We passed a narrow but deep ravine lying
across our course, in some parts of which the snow reached nearly
to a level with the banks, forming a kind of bridges or causeways,
on one of which we crossed without difficulty. The men had hoisted
one sail upon the cart at first setting off; but the wind being
now, as they expressed it, "on the larboard quarter," a second
blanket was rigged as a mainsail, to their great amusement as well
as relief.

After crossing a second ravine, on the north side of which the
ground rose considerably, we entered upon another snowy plain,
where there was nothing to be seen in any direction but sno