arie Island in about three weeks;
oceanographical work being carried out on the trip down. This was indeed
cheerful news, and we began to look forward to her arrival.

A fresh west-south-west gale during the early morning hours of the 17th
was accompanied by soft hail and snow-squalls, and the temperature at
9 A.M. was 31.2 degrees F. The ground was covered with snow and all the
pools were frozen over, but at 9 P.M. there was a rapid shift of the
wind to the north-west and the snow almost disappeared. Soft hail,
generally a little larger than tapioca and of the same shape, frequently
fell. These little pellets are formed of compressed snow and are
commonly supposed to be frozen cloud-particles mixed with raindrops
compacted by a high wind.

On the following night, Blake and I went up to wireless Hill to take
star observations. It was very dark and the hill-front was slippery,
frequent falls being the rule. Just after setting up the instrument, the
wind freshened to such an extent that it was impossible to do anything,
so we descended very wet and muddy to the Shack, having had a rough
passage. The reason for this was that I fell on the lantern and
extinguished the light.

We were supplied with two hurricane lamps which do not by any means
deserve their title as they blow out in even a moderately strong wind.
Sandell made a lantern for his own use, declaring that it was impossible
for any wind to blow it out. I firmly believed him, as it was a little
binnacle lamp placed inside a small oatmeal tin into which a cleaned
photographic plate had been fixed and with holes punched in the bottom
and top of the tin for ventilation. It was thus a lamp with two covers,
and frequent demonstrations of its ability to survive heavy blows were
made by the inventor.

During the next three days a forty-mile wind accompanied by snow, hail
and sleet was experienced and the maximum temperature on the 25th
did not reach freezing-point, the ground being firmly frozen and
snow-covered. During the evening of the last-named date the wind shifted
to north-west, and by noon on the 26th no snow remained, except on the
hills.

In anticipation of the 'Aurora's arrival, Blake and Hamilton collected
some stores together in the hope that Captain Davis would transport them
down to Lusitania Bay, thus obviating the necessity of carrying them
down on foot. As Blake reckoned that he would remain there fully three
months and Hamilton about two months, i