lid, is never experienced. It is true that these
inconveniences occur in a much greater degree in the spring; but
being then hailed as the harbingers of the return of permanent
warmth, it is easy to obviate some, and would be hard to complain
of any of them.

_Nov. 6._--For several days about this period the weather
continued remarkably mild, the thermometer generally rising as
high as from +20 deg. to +28 deg. in the course of the day, from the 6th
to the 16th. Most of our necessary arrangements for the security
of the ships and stores during the winter being now completed, the
people were employed in what they called "rigging the theatre,"
and on the evening of the 9th the officers performed the play of
the "Rivals," to the infinite amusement of both ships' companies.

On the 1st of December there was a space of many miles in which
none of the "old ice" was visible. The sea was here for the most
part covered with a very thin sheet of "young" ice, probably the
formation of a single day, since the westerly wind had driven the
'floes' off the land. The whole of this was in motion with the
tide, which, breaking the thin floes, left several spaces of clear
water. It was observable that, though a considerable frost-smoke
arose from the young ice, it was not so dense as that from the
clear water, immediately over every pool of which a little thick
cloud floated, corresponding as well in size as in situation with
the pond from whence it issued. A number of dovekies were swimming
about the point; and it being desirable, if possible, to obtain
some of them for the sake of ascertaining their plumage at this
season, we hauled the small boat over and launched her. Mr. Ross
succeeded in killing one of the birds, which was preserved as a
specimen, but it was with great difficulty that the boat avoided
being carried away from the shore by the young ice. I was, on this
account, afraid of repeating the attempt during the rest of the
winter. One grouse was seen on shore; it appeared entirely white,
except having its tail black near the tip.

I was this day under the necessity of closing in my stern
dead-lights, and fixing cork shutters between the double
window-frames of my cabin, the temperature having lately fallen
rather low at night; in consequence of which, one of the
chronometers had stopped on the 26th of November. We had before
this time banked the snow up against the sides; but it was now
thrown higher, and its thickness a