124 



SECOND SLEDGES LEAVE. [February, 



tinctly traced in spring, on the under surface of what is 

 termed honey-combed ice ; indeed its action is as wonder- 

 fully correct as the boring of the teredo, leaving clean, 

 smooth -bored holes through seven feet ice, as if it had 

 been the result of some sharp auger or cutting instru- 

 ment. 



February 28. The temperatures remaining high, and 

 the anxiety of some of our sledge parties leading them to 

 prefer braving the cold to inactivity, I despatched two 

 more sledges, under the command of Lieutenant May, 

 to the ' North Star,' the probabilities being in favour of 

 temperate weather for the next six days at least. 



This being the conclusion of February, I. find that our 

 mean for the month is nearly the coldest on record, cer- 

 tainly the coldest for this month experienced by any of 

 our Arctic Expeditions. 



In the determination of the temperatures here I must 

 again reiterate the observation, that these results are the 

 mean of thirteen thermometers (standard), and registered 

 two-hourly, so that the results are indisputable. During 

 this season the contraction of the mercurial thermometers 

 below the graduation of --39 '5 has been most narrowly 



