ROSS'S SECOND VOYAGE. 195 



fcto, thwe appeared no longer an atom of clear water ; 

 and, except some occasional points of rock, "nothing 

 but on* dazzling and monotonous, dull and wearisome, 

 extent of snow was visible." The temperature, which 

 had hr-en ranging between 10 and 22, rapidly fell, 

 and, on the night of the 20th, descended as low as 9 

 under zero, or 41 below the freezing-point, and, before 

 the end of the month, was at 16. 



In preparing for the gloom and rigor of this long 

 winter, Ross made some improvements even upon the 

 admirable arrangements of Parry. The upper deck 

 having been covered two feet and a half deep with 

 snow, it was trodden down to the consistence of solid 

 ice, and sand spread over it, till it resembled a rolled 

 gravel-walk. It was then roofed with canvas, which 

 was conducted over the sides till it united with a bank 

 of snow that had been formed around the vessel, thus 

 completely fencing it in on every side. The vapor from 

 the steam-kitchen and oven, instead of being allowed to 

 spread through the cabins, was conveyed by apertures 

 in the upper deck, over which were placed to receive it 

 iron tanks, with the open side downwards, where it 

 soon froze, and the ice was cleared out once a week. 

 By this plan the apartments were preserved perfectly 

 dry, and it was not necessary, as formerly, to keep them 

 up to the temperature of 70, in order to prevent the 

 vapor from freezing on their sides ; that of 45 was 

 found quite sufficient for health and comfort, and a 

 great saving of fuel was in consequence effected. Two 

 small ante-chambers were formed, and in the outer one 

 such of the men as had been exposed to the atmos- 

 phere were required to leave the clothes on which snow 

 had fallen. The air necessary to produce combustion 

 wati introduced by a copper pipe direct to the fireplace, 

 where it was immediately warmed, and, instead of chill- 



