430 Chapter VII. 



roundings, and more and more water is formed with 

 a good admixture of salt in it, so that its freezing- point 

 is lower than the temperature of the ice around it. This, 

 too, had risen materially ; at about 4 feet depth it is only 

 2 5 '2 F. ( 3 '8 C.), at 5 feet it is somewhat warmer 

 again, 26-5 F. (- 3-1 C.). 



" Sunday, June roth. Oddly enough we have had no 

 cases of snow-blindness on board, with the exception of 

 the doctor, who, a couple of days ago, after we had 

 been playing at ball, got a touch of it in the evening. 

 The tears poured from his eyes for some time, but he 

 soon recovered. Rather a humiliating trick of fate that 

 he should be the first to suffer from this ailment." 

 Subsequently we had a few isolated cases of slight 

 snow-blindness, so that one or two of our men had to go 

 about with dark spectacles ; but it was of little im- 

 portance and was due to their not thinking it worth 

 while to take the necessary precautions. 



"Monday, June iith. To-day I made a joyful dis- 

 covery. I thought I had begun my last bundle of cigars 

 and calculated that by smoking one a day they would 

 last a month, but found quite unexpectedly a whole box 

 in my locker. Great rejoicing ! it will help to while 

 away a few more months, and where shall we be then ? 

 Poor fellow, you are really at a low ebb ! ' To while 

 away time ' that is an idea that has scarcely ever 

 entered your head before. It has always been your 

 great trouble that time flew away so fast, and now it 



