72 REVOLVING STORM. Chap. V. 



W.N.W, ; latterly it has not changed at all: we are in a 

 narrower part of Davis' Strait, where the winds probably 

 blow with equal force from shore to shore, and drift the 

 whole pack at an uniform rate. 



$th. — On the 2nd, four fat seals and some dovekies were 

 shot ; the largest seal weighed 170 lbs. ; the smallest 150 lbs.; 

 they were males of the species Phoca hesfiida, or Phoca fcetida, 

 the latter epithet being by far the most appropriate at this 

 season ; the disagreeable odour resembles garlic, and taints 

 the whole animal so strongly that even Esquimaux are nearly 

 overpowered by it : this is almost the only description of 

 seal we have obtained, but the females are at all seasons 

 free from fetor. Several long lanes of water extend at right 

 angles to the straits. 



The Doctor has taken a photograph of the ship by the albu- 

 men process on glass; the temperature at the time was below 

 zero. Upon the 3rd and 4th a well-marked revolving storm 

 passed nearly over us to the W.N.W. ; its extreme diameter 

 was 30 hours, that of the strength of the gale 18 hours; its 

 centre probably passed about one-tenth of its diameter to 

 the S.W. The barometer was rather high, having risen just 

 before the wind commenced at N.E. ; but it now fell half 

 an inch in ten hours, and continued to fall until the wind 

 shifted — almost suddenly — through S.E. to S.S.W., when it 

 immediately commenced a rapid ascent. As the barometer 

 fell, the temperature rose from zero to +18° and fell again 

 after the change of wind. This violent storm brought with 

 it a smart hail-shower. 



The depression of the ice about the bows, in consequence 

 of a vast accumulation of snow-drift upon it, brought the ship 

 down by the head considerably; to-day this ice suddenly 

 detached itself, and the fore part of the vessel sprang up ; 

 she still remains frozen and held down abaft. The snow- 

 banking looks very woe-begone after this ice-qiiake; it in- 



