of substance by soaking, but did not know to what
cause to attribute the deficiency. We took advantage, however, of
the hunger of these depredators to procure complete skeletons of
small animals, for preservation as anatomical specimens, enclosing
them in a net or bag with holes, to which the shrimps could have
access, but which prevented the loss of any of the limbs, should
the cartilage of the joints be eaten. For want of this latter
precaution some specimens were at first rendered imperfect.

A pair of snow-boots were now issued _gratis_ to each individual
in the expedition, being part of a stock of extra warm clothing
liberally furnished by government, to be supplied to the officers
and men at my discretion, as occasion should require. These boots
were made of strong drab cloth, with thick soles of cork, the
slowly conducting property of which substance, together with their
large size, allowing a free circulation to the blood, afforded the
utmost comfort that could be desired. Boots or shoes of _leather_
never retain the warmth long, under circumstances of very severe
exposure.

The wind veering to the S.E. on the 24th and 25th, the thermometer
gradually rose to +23 deg. I may possibly incur the charge of
affectation in stating that this temperature was much too high to
be agreeable to us; but it is nevertheless the fact, that
everybody felt and complained of the change. We had often before
remarked, that considerable alterations in the temperature of the
atmosphere are as sensibly felt by the human frame at a very low
part of the scale, as in the higher. The difference consists only
in this, that a change from -40 deg. upward to about _zero_ is usually
a very welcome one, while from _zero_ to the freezing point, as in
the instance just alluded to, it becomes, to persons in our
situation, rather an inconvenience than otherwise. This may be
more readily imagined by considering that our clothing, bedding,
fires, and other precautions against the severity of the climate
having been once adapted to a low degree of cold, an increase of
temperature renders them oppressive and inconvenient; while any
reduction (of the first two, at least) is impracticable with
safety. To this must be added, that at this temperature the snow
becomes too soft for convenient walking, and the accumulation of
ice in the crevices and linings of the officers' cabins is
converted into a source of extreme annoyance, which, while it
continues so