fresh-water collections of considerable depth, which indeed
were already hard frozen on the surface, but long yielded us
splendid water for drinking and washing. After the 14th of December,
when all the smaller fresh-water collections were almost frozen to
the bottom, and salt-water had made its way into the largest ones
and those on which we most depended, it became necessary to procure
water by melting ice.

The meteorological observations were made every fourth hour up to the
1st November; after that to the 1st April every hour; after that
again six times in the twenty-four hours. From the 27th November to
the 1st April the thermometers were set up on land at the magnetical
observatory; before and after that time in the immediate neighbourhood
of the vessel. During winter the charge of the meteorological
observations was intrusted to Dr. Stuxberg, who at that season, when all
around us was covered with ice, was compelled to let his own zoological
researches rest.

[Illustration: COD FROM PITLEKAJ. _Gadus navaga_, Kolreuter one-third
the natural size. ]

The state of the weather of course had a very sensible influence on our
daily life, and formed the touchstone by which our equipment was tested.
Space does not permit me to give in this work the detailed results of
the meteorological observations. I shall therefore only state the
following facts.

The greatest cold which was observed during the different
months was in

October the 24th--20.8 deg. March the 29th--39.8 deg.
November the 30th--27.2 deg. April the 15th--38.0 deg.
December the 23rd--37.1 deg. May the 3rd--26.8 deg.
January the 25th--45.7 deg. June the 3rd--14.3 deg.
February the 2nd--43.8 deg. July the 2nd--1.0 deg.

Twice we had the barometer uncommonly high, viz.:

On the 22nd December 6 A.M. 782.0 (0 deg.) mm.
On the 17th February 6 A.M. 788.1 (0 deg.) mm.

The lowest atmospheric pressure, 728.8 (0 deg.) mm., occurred on
the 31st December at two o'clock P.M.

The weather during the winter was very stormy, and the direction of
the wind nearest the surface of the earth almost constantly between
north-west and north-north-west. But already in atmospheric strata
of inconsiderable height there prevailed, to judge by the direction
of the clouds, a similar uninterrupted atmospheric current from the
south-east, which when it occasionally sank to the surface of the
earth brought with it air that was warmer and less saturated