160 EXTREMES OF COLD. [November, 



On a decided change of temperature between the 5th 

 and 10th of November, I had firmly relied and expressed 

 my opinion. On the llth I did expect that gale, and I 

 further expected a cessation of intense cold from that 

 period until the 22nd December. This is not the result 

 of a mere guess, but of a long course of observations in 

 North America, and wherever cold predominates, that 

 there are three periods of cold, one in November, ran- 

 ging between the 5th and 10th; a second in December, 

 22nd to 30th; and the third in March, near the 10th. 

 These periods generally exhibit the extremes of tempera- 

 ture. Of gales I take no special notice, but here they 

 inevitably accompany any undue rise of temperature. 

 These remarks led me to institute an inquiry, or con- 

 structing a table of comparison of the temperatures ex- 

 perienced by Parry, Ross, and Austin, to which will be 

 added our own, and possibly those of the other ships 

 composing this Expedition. I think that the scales will 

 bear out my observation. 



I notice in Parry's Second Voyage, that he relates, 

 " that the first week in the month of November the 

 weather was mild; the temperature then fell to 30, 

 which change we felt sensibly." This extreme is not 

 much exceeded by this mouth. His severity of mid- 

 winter commences about the 26th of December, con- 

 tinuing to the 9th of January, and reaching about 45; 

 on the 10th it is +4, and continues . Towards the 

 end of February cold increases, and up to the llth of 

 March it is 36 '75: from this period (as elsewhere) 

 intense cold ceases. 



We have yet to record the result in this terra incog- 



