t shine, the winter nights were so
dark, that it was impossible to distinguish the very nearest
objects, and day after day during the course of the winter we had,
besides, drifting snow so thick that the high dark hull of the
vessel itself could be distinguished only when one was in its
immediate neighbourhood! In walking from land during the darkness of
the night and in drifting snow it would have been very difficult to
find one's way to the vessel without guidance, and he would have
been helplessly lost who went astray. To prevent such an accident,
the precaution was taken of running a line over high ice-pillars
between the Observatory and the vessel. Even with the help of the
guideline it was often difficult enough to find our way.

The attempt to keep open a channel in the ice round the vessel
during the whole winter had soon to be given up, but two holes were
kept constantly open, one by the side of the vessel in case of fire,
and the other for the tidal observations which Captain Palander set
on foot during the winter. The latter hole was chosen by a little
seal as its haunt for a long time, until one day we entertained
ourselves by catching him with the necessary care, and making him
pay an involuntary visit on board, where he was offered various
delicacies, which however were disregarded. The seal was let loose
again in his hole, but notwithstanding the friendliness we showed
him, he never more returned.

[Illustration: THE WINTER DRESS OF THE "VEGA" MEN. ]

From the meteorological observations it appears that the winter was
not so cold as the winters in the Franklin archipelago or in the
coldest parts of the mainland of Siberia.[252] On the other hand, it
was exceedingly stormy at the _Vega's_ winter station, and day
after day, night after night, we have gone to and from the
Observatory in a high wind and a cold of -30 deg. to -46 deg. C.
In calm weather a cold of -40 deg. is scarcely very troublesome,
but with only a slight draught a degree of cold of for instance -35 deg.
is actually dangerous for one who goes against the wind, and
without the necessary precautions exposes uncovered parts of the
face, the hands, or the wrists, to the cold current of air. Without
one's being warned by any severe pain frostbite arises, which, if it
be not in time thawed by rubbing the injured part with the hand, or
with melting snow, may readily become very serious. Most of those
who for the first time took part in a winter