10 DEPARTURE OF MR. RICARDS. \_0ctober, 



tunate he did not start, as originally intended ; a smart 

 gale from north to north-north-east sprang up, attended 

 with heavy snow-drifts, which rendered travelling impru- 

 dent. Our leading party, under Mr. Grove, had doubt- 

 less " bagged," and were enjoying their comfortable rest 

 in the tent, under shelter of some of the high land to 

 the southward. It is strange that human beings will 

 attach the idea of enjoyment to such unmistakable dis- 

 comfort. I do not think it is confined to any rank ; I 

 recollect when I was young enough to be of the same 

 disposition, life in a jolly-boat was preferable to inac- 

 tivity in the most comfortable cabin ; I think however 

 that that period has passed. 



The gale has had no further effect than to disturb one 

 of the huge masses of ice to which we are secured (?), 

 and, as it grounded at low water, caused it to rend, 

 which was attended with considerable noise, added to 

 some slight alarm as to its deranging our present com- 

 fortable bed ! As it occurred at the moment some of 

 our crew were depositing the sweepings of the decks 

 at the dirt-heap, it occasioned some little fright to the 

 individuals concerned. 



On the weather moderating, on the 3rd, Mr. Sheila- 

 beer, accompanied by Mr. Ricards, departed under the 

 customary cheers on promotion. We now began to fancy 

 that the ice had attained sufficient solidity to defy any 

 later gale of this season, and, gradually relaxing my op- 

 position to housing, I had now permitted it to advance 

 progressively, until at length we had secured our boats 

 in board on the skid-beams (seven feet above deck), and 

 the covering was laced down. But I was a man persuaded 



