144 WASHHOTJSE. [Ocfo6e>; 



them for shrimps ; and they possibly answered quite as 

 well, if the shells at least are eaten in both cases : De 

 gustibus, etc. 



The washhouse for the crew was constructed on shore, 

 composed of blocks of snow, now sufficiently frozen to 

 be easily handled, and cut by snow-knives into any re- 

 quired forms, much resembling the working of very soft 

 Gloucestershire oolite. Unfortunately our Surveyor-Ge- 

 neral of Works had miscalculated his ground ; and after 

 the walls were up, the rise and fall of tide caused cer- 

 tain ominous gapings in the gables, which was but par- 

 tially remedied by disconnecting the laud-floe by a ditch. 

 However, this not being deemed satisfactory, a new inner 

 wall was constructed, making another parallel room or 

 double house. This is another feature of Arctic arrange- 

 ment which does not suit my views of economy of fuel, 

 of comfort, or sound judgment. First, the expenditure of 

 coal is wasted out of the ship ; next, the men are sent 

 to light a fire with wood, etc., in a cold house, and ex- 

 pend half the fuel before the copper is warmed. The 

 temperature there is too cold, especially when the ther- 

 mometer falls to 62, for such operations as washing ; 

 and before the clothes can be wrung properly, they are 

 a mass of ice, and the shivering unfortunates are seen, 

 with their clothes half washed and ice-bound, wending 

 their way across the floe to the ship for what ? to 

 carry below into fhe main hold, beside the Sylvester ap- 

 paratus, these masses of ice, to be converted into vapour, 

 and diffused between decks. Verily, there are too many 

 ways of inviting sickness without this ! but " it was 

 done before," is the reply. 



