1853.] FREAKS OF REFRACTION. 303 



mican. As far as my own feelings were concerned, right 

 glad was I to hear of it, as it enabled me, without mur- 

 mur, to make it good ; my allowance was stopped until 

 the deficiency was covered. It was undoubtedly my pro- 

 vince to order the proper allowance for the dogs ; but I 

 was well aware that, under the possible privation which 

 might attend our adventure, the allotment of pemmican 

 would be viewed with great, jealousy by some of our 

 party ; and yet, if these poor animals did not work, to 

 lighten their labour abundant whip was bestowed by 

 these same pseudo-feeling bipeds ! Snow, but not aus- 

 picious, continued to fall, and the barber within the tent 

 troublesome : several of the men also were affected by 

 weakness of the eyes or partial snow-blindness, doubtless 

 the result of the late prevailing easterly wind. 



About two A.M. on the 10th of June, the weather 

 clearing, discovered to us the land, very distinct, but at 

 times so distorted by the play of refraction as hardly 

 to preserve the same features beyond a few minutes ; or, 

 once having caught the true image, wandering into every 



imaginable phantasm fancy might suggest. Such were 

 four diagrams, as here given, No. 4 being the final or 

 true appearance of the object. 



