1854.] LONG PERIOD OF INTENSE COLD. 101 



was surprised to notice the floe seaward to be appa- 

 rently very smooth, all the rough or pack ice being con- 

 fined to the region near our anchorage; I use this term 

 now, because we have indeed both anchors down (truly 

 moored). I cannot account for this appearance, except 

 by the inference that the breeze reached the ice about 

 half a mile off shore, and has by this mode filled up the 

 irregularities with snow. The track also of our intended 

 sledge journeys alongshore appears to offer smooth tra- 

 velling as far as our view extends. 



February 3. Our temperatures still continue very 

 low, particularly in a continuous stream of cold, the 

 mean of 102 hours giving as under : 



Max. -50; Min. -59'25; Mean, 54'34. 



In my attempt today to examine the outer ice I found 

 the cracks to be numerous, and so loosely filled in by 

 snow that I was unable to venture beyond the pack. 

 Commander Richards, who went beyond, informed me 

 that the external floe is smooth, free from cracks, and is 

 likely to afford fair travelling. The large masses of ice 

 in the neighbourhood of the ship, or particularly ahead 

 of her, present more confusion than I had imagined, ex- 

 hibiting rents in every direction. Temperature alone 

 could not effect this ; I therefore imagine that the sur- 

 rounding masses, rising and falling with the tide, have 

 proved too heavy for the grounded masses to support. 



With reference to the continuous degree of cold re- 

 gistered by us, I notice in Captain Parry's Journal at 

 Melville Island that he experienced fifteen hours at 50. 

 (The narrative gives 54, but the tables 50, as the mini- 



