428 Chapter VII. 



is in reality a mere matter of vanity, merely child's play, 

 in comparison with what we are doing and hoping to do ; 

 and yet I must confess that I am foolish enough to want 

 to take in the Pole while I am about it, and shall probably 

 have a try at it if we get into its neighbourhood within 

 any reasonable time. 



" This is a mild May ; the temperature has been 

 about zero several times of late, and one can walk up 

 and down and almost imagine one's self at home. 

 There is seldom more than a few degrees of cold ; but 

 the summer foo-s are beo-innino-, with occasional hoar 



o o o 



frost. As a rule, however, the sky with its light, fleeting 

 clouds is almost like a spring sky in the south. 



"We notice, too, that it has become milder on board ; 

 we no lono-er need to lio-ht a fire in the stove to make 



O O 



ourselves warm and cosy ; though, indeed, we have 

 never indulged in much luxury in this respect. In the 

 store-room, the rime frost and ice that had settled on 

 the ceiling- and walls are beo-innino- to melt ; and in 



O O O 



the compartments astern of the saloon, and in the hold, 

 we have been obliged to set about a grand cleaning-up, 

 scraping off and sweeping away the ice and rime, to 

 save our provisions from taking harm, through the 

 damp penetrating the wrappings, and rusting holes in 

 the tin cases. We have, moreover, for a lono- time 



O 



kept the hatchways in the hold open, so that there 

 has been a thorough draught through it, and a good 

 deal of the rime has evaporated. It is remarkable 



