The Winter Night. 269 



21 fathoms (40 m.) in these two clays. It seems as if 

 there were a northerly current after all. No doubt 

 many disappointments await us yet ; but why not 

 rejoice while fortune smiles?' 



" Tuesday, November 28th. The disappointment 

 lost no time in coming-. There had been a mistake 

 either in the observation or in Hansen's calculations. 

 An altitude of Jupiter taken yesterday evening shows us 

 to be in 78 36' north latitude. The soundings to-day 

 showed 74 fathoms (142 m.) of water, or about the 

 same as yesterday, and the sounding-line indicated a 

 south- westerly drift. However anxious one is to take 

 things philosophically, one can't help feeling a little 

 depressed. I try to find solace in a book ; absorb myself 

 in the learning of the Indians their happy faith in 

 transcendental powers, in the supernatural faculties of 

 the soul, and in a future life. Oh, if one could only get 

 hold of a little supernatural power now, and oblige the 

 winds always to blow from the south ! 



" I went on deck this evening in rather a gloomy frame 

 of mind, but was nailed to the spot the moment I got 

 outside. There is the. supernatural for you the 

 northern lights Hashing in matchless power and beauty 

 over the sky in all the colours of the rainbow ! Seldom 

 or never have I seen the colours so brilliant. The 

 prevailing one at first was yellow, but that gradually 

 flickered over into green, and then a sparkling ruby-red 

 began to show at the bottom of the rays on the under 



