02 LAST VIEW OF THE SUN. [November, 



single plate, have been specially refrozen on a neighbour- 

 ing lake for this purpose, fresh water affording more 

 brilliant and transparent ice : they measure three feet 

 by two, and are four inches in thickness. In this par- 

 ticular we beat the Crystal Palace, as we can have them 

 of any size " to order," and without additional expense ! 



The sun should be asleep, but his rays continue to il- 

 lumine a considerable arch of the horizon, and his coun- 

 tenance was so far refracted yesterday as to be seen from 

 the maintop. About 40 to the westward of the meri- 

 dian, or of his position, a luminous prismatic tinted mass 

 of light appeared to represent one of his parhelia, the 

 other was obscured by intervening land. The tempera- 

 ture ranges at present between +10 and 18. 



November 5. Experiments were attempted last season 

 on the rate of freezing of the sea, or positive increase of 

 floe-ice : but as they were not satisfactory, and more- 

 over so much at variance with any probable facts, I de- 

 termined to repeat them this season under proper in- 

 spection, and to continue them up to the time of thaw 

 in spring. 



In order to secure the entire range, a smooth place on 

 the floe was selected, and an open parallel gauge inserted, 

 which would not be extricated until the end of the sea- 

 son. All measurements were to be made in radii near 

 this centre. This gauge was formed by a square tube, 

 open on two sides, and inserted five feet six inches be- 

 neath and eighteen inches above the floe, the thickness 

 of the ice at the moment of insertion being eighteen 

 inches. 



The arrangements on board for maintaining a more 



