HUNTING FOXES. 185 



whole outer bay with ice, and the crystal plain ex- 

 tends as far as the eye will carry over the Sound. 



The tide-register works quite well, but the young- 

 sters complain bitterly of the trouble in keeping the 

 fire-hole clear of ice, and of reading the ice-coated 

 knots in the darkness. Starr slipped partly into the 

 hole to-day, and nearly ruined the instrument by 

 grasping it for support. The readings are generally 

 quite accurate, but to guard against serious error I 

 have my own way of marking a check upon the ice- 

 foot. We have to-day 9 feet 7 inches between ebb 

 and flood. 



The poor foxes have become the innocent victims 

 of a new excitement. They are very numerous, and 

 the officers are after them with dead-falls, traps, and 

 guns. Their skins are very fine and pretty, and make 

 warm coats, although I do not perceive that they 

 are used for this purpose ; but they go instead into 

 tlie very safest corners of their lockers. Doubtless 

 " there 's a lady in the case." 



November 18th. 



A calm, cold, clear, quiet day, marked by no unu- 

 sual event other than the appearance of the second 

 number of "The News." Radcliffe brought it out, 

 and there was another bright evening in this dark- 

 ness-beleaguered schooner. 



November 19 th. 



Our quiet life has been disturbed by a mysterious 

 event. I have often mentioned in these pages the 

 ludicrous rivalry which grew up between the two 

 Esquimaux, Hans and Peter. Both have been useful, 

 but their motives have been very different. One has 

 shown, like Mr. Wemmick, a laudable desire to get 

 hold of " portable property " by fair means ; the other 



