224 ILLUMINATED BEACONS. \_March, 



But great confusion in withdrawing them occurred, 

 by which all confidence was destroyed. The results I 

 have ; and they convey to my mind merely the fact that 

 this bank of snow did withstand a much greater amount 

 of cold than I had contemplated, but they were not 

 spirit, nor reliable, instruments. About this period also, 

 and whilst Commander Richards was absent to the 

 southward, I tried several experiments on illuminating 

 beacon poles by sheets of tin ; a cask was also covered 

 with tin-foil, etc. ; but unfortunately the point where he 

 landed was not in sight from the Observatory hill, where 

 these marks were erected, nor did his track permit his 

 noticing them. A variable or revolving heliotropic vane 

 was constructed ; but the cold, acting on the metal spin- 

 dle and collars, did not permit it to traverse freely ; it 

 may be described in the Appendix. 



The customary labour, and wear and tear of clothing 

 generally, in the construction of cairns, is overlooked by 

 our superiors when they issue orders on these heads : 

 one half-hour injures boots, mits, and clothing, more 

 than can be conceived. Nor can the officer look idly on : 

 he therefore feels, as well as sees, the necessity of provi- 

 ding special gloves or hedgers' mits for this duty. I di- 

 rected extra boots and mits, faced with seal-skin, to be 

 issued to the cairn builders of my own division, where 

 these duties entailed on them especially, this laborious 

 species of work, and for which no provision had been 

 suggested. 



OO 



In our present occupation of adding to the building 

 on the summit of Mount Beaufort, day after day, using 

 carts to bring up the stones, the wear and tear of clothes 



