1854.] EXPERIMENT ON SNOW COVERING. 183 



the report of the medical officers afforded no hope of re- 

 covery, even if he lived many hours. 



May 24. Her Majesty's birthday was kept by the 

 sole means I had at command, viz. increase of rations ; 

 for the rest, our loyalty is not a whit the less, and must 

 support us unsuspected. 



The second interval of ten days on the thermometers 

 buried in snow affords similar proof of the protecting 

 power it affords ; in this case 



1 foot beneath = + 8; min. -11 + 8 =19; max. +28 '5. 

 3 feet = +16; min. -11 +16 =27. 



The general temperature improves on the ten days, 

 max. +28-50; min. -ITOO ; mean, +11-194. 



Our first attempts with powder to remove the upper 

 ice in the dock were tried today ; the results precisely 

 what I anticipated. The holes were nine feet in depth, 

 vertical, and the charges 121bs. They failed to force 

 the bottom downwards, as some had contemplated, al- 

 though they were tamped with close sludge and long 

 fuse for seven feet. The cracks, owing to present pres- 

 sure, will instantly reunite ; the only rational mode is by 

 digging down, and driving horizontal or oblique holes. I 

 then tried charges of 20 Ibs. each, passed through nine 

 feet ice, without any proportionate disturbance of ship 

 or ice ; but on passing through the ice in seventeen feet, 

 and resting the charge on the bottom, the ship received a 

 very severe shock from stem to stern, extending even to 

 one hundred yards between the ship and ' Pioneer/ but 

 the ice was not started upwards satisfactorily ! This 

 result forcibly reminded me of particular occasions be- 

 tween the 30th of August and 4th of September last, 



