Nov. 1857. THE SUN'S LAST VISIT. 49 



proved to be a full-grown male, 7 feet 3 inches in length 

 As we all aided in the capture, it was decided that the skin 

 should be offered to Lady Franklin. 



The carcase will feed our dogs for nearly a month ; they 

 were rewarded on the spot with the offal. All of them, how- 

 ever, had not shown equal pluck ; some ran off in evident 

 fright, but others betrayed no symptom of fear, plunging or 

 falling into the water with Bruin. Poor old Sophy was 

 amongst the latter, and received a deep cut in the shoulder 

 from one of his claws. The established authorities on all 

 canine matters — i.e., Petersen, Christian, and Alexander 

 Thompson — have prescribed double allowance of food for 

 her, and say she will soon recover. 



For the few moments of its duration the chase and death 

 was exciting. And how strange and novel the scene ! A 

 misty moon affording but scanty light — dark figures gliding 

 singly about, not daring to approach each other, for the ice 

 trembled under their feet — the enraged bear, the wolfish 

 howling dogs, and the bright flashes of the deadly rifles. 



3rd. — I remained up the greater part of last night taking 

 observations, for the evening mists had passed away, and a 

 lovely moon reigned over a calm enchanting night ; through 

 a powerful telescope 1 she resembled a huge frosted-silver 

 melon, the large crater-like depression answering to that 

 part from which the footstalk had been detached. Not a 

 sound to break the stillness around, excepting when some 

 hungry dog would return to the late battlefield to gnaw into 

 the bloodstained ice. 



On the 1st the sun paid us his last visit for the year, and 

 now we take all our meals by lamplight. 



$th. — In order to vary our monotonous routine, we de- 

 termined to celebrate the day ; extra grog was issued to the 



1 Most kindly lent to the Expedition by the late Lord Wrottesley, 

 then President of the Royal Society. 



E 



