200 UNUSUALLY SEVERE WEATHER. Chap. XII. 



elevated or uncovered land. I saw two reindeer, and 

 Young saw about twenty ptarmigan. 



The mean temperature of February up to this date is 

 — 33 '2°, being an exact continuation of January. I confess 

 to feeling some anxiety upon this point, as hitherto the 

 winter has been unusually severe, and the journeys to be 

 performed will occupy more than twenty days. Besides, we 

 shall be earlier in motion than any of the previous travellers, 

 unless we are to make an exception in favour of Mr. 

 Kennedy's trip of thirty miles from Batty Bay to Fury 

 Beach, between the 5th and 10th January, during which time 

 the lowest temperature registered was only — 25 . Should 

 either Young or myself remain absent beyond the period 

 for which we carry provisions, Hobson is to send a party in 

 search of us. A sooty fox has been captured lately. 



15th February. — A strong N.W. wind, with a temperature 



of — 40 , confines us on board. One cannot face these 



winds, therefore it is fortunate that we did not start, the ship 



being much more comfortable than a snow-hut. 



# # * # # •* 



20^ March. — Already I have been a week on board, and 

 so difficult is it to settle down to anything like sedentary 

 occupation, after a period of continued vigorous action, that 

 even now I can scarcely sit still to scribble a brief outline of 

 my trip to Cape Victoria. 



On the morning of the 17th February the weather mode- 

 rated sufficiently for us to set out ; the temperature through- 

 out the day varied between -31 and -42I °. Leaving 

 Young's party to pass on through the strait, I proceeded by 

 way of Macgregor Laird Lake, which I found to be io£ geo- 

 graphical miles in length, with an average width of half a mile. 



We built our snow-hut upon the west coast, near Pemmican 

 Rock, after a march of 19 or 20 geographical miles. We 

 always speak of geographical miles with reference to our 

 marches ; six geographical are equal to seven English miles. 



