1853.] ANTICIPATION OF EVENTS. 241 



Island appears to be a bituminous shale. It might serve, 

 with coal, to keep up the heat, but I do not find it to be 

 capable of burning or maintaining heat, unless so aided. 



When I look back to my order, issued in February, 

 " that the sledges were to be ready to depart on the 1 5th 

 March," I confess that I am somewhat astonished ; pos- 

 sibly other matters before this cruise is ended (?) may be 

 as satisfactory ! But with the summer this habit seems 

 to decline. To my own mind I think I could have found 

 very plausible reasons for anticipating the preceding 

 events ; but beyond my conception of the direction of 

 my intended route to the north-east, I have nothing now 

 beyond guess to help me through the summer. Hope 

 I will, nevertheless : that can never be denied. Indeed, 

 without some preconceived opinion on such a service, 

 how am I to frame my orders ? Surely not on the snail 

 principle : " nothing risk, nothing gain." 



I notice the following amongst my rough notes : 

 " I like calculations ahead, and shall divert myself with 

 another pet theory. I have noted generally that a warm 

 or forward spring in cold climates, even in England, is 

 seldom checked by any return of cold. In April, 1852, 

 we retained a cold spring, and carried it to Greenland, not 

 experiencing a greater maximum temperature from 1st 

 May, at and after quitting Stromness, than 50. Summer 

 we did not experience, 45 being our maximum summer 

 temperature in August. On the 8th, at noon, the moon 

 changes ; and about midnight, on the 9th, we may ex- 

 pect a decided change. If a gale ensues from south-east 

 we may expect high temperatures, but no travelling. I 

 shall direct the south-western expedition to be ready to 



VOL. I. R 



