278 OUT OF WINTER QUARTERS. Chap. XVII. 



like an owl — next morning his appearance was ghastly; 

 he was brought up for judicial investigation. His eldest 

 daughter, he said, had on that day attained her ninth year ; 

 to do honour to the event, he had saved up a little grog, 

 quite contrary to his usual custom, and that its effect, 

 together with the excitement of his feelings, overpowered 

 him, &c. In short, he supplied most ingenious excuses, 

 and in return I gave much excellent advice. In truth, I 

 felt somewhat indebted to the unconscious little maiden for 

 even this shadow of an excuse ; but not wishing either the 

 paternal feelings, or the good effects of my counsel to be 

 put to a severe test, I do hope no more birthdays will occur 

 in that family during the remainder of our sojourn in 

 the < Fox.' 



A long continuance of unusually calm, bright, and warm 

 weather has been favourable to our painting and cleaning 

 the ship, scraping masts, and so forth. The result is that 

 she looks unusually smart and gay, and our impatience to 

 exhibit her, and ourselves, at home is much increased. With 

 the exception of a few gulls, and a duck, our hunters have 

 shot nothing lately, although constantly out, either darting 

 about in their kayaks, or ranging over the hills ; in fact, 

 there is nothing which they can shoot ; the ducks are 

 tolerably numerous, but extremely wild ; the valleys are 

 respectably clothed with vegetation, yet only one animal — 

 a hare — has been seen. I was so fortunate as to shoot a 

 snowy owl, the flesh of which was white and tender, but, to 

 my palate, tasteless, although Petersen considers that " owl 

 is the best beef in the country." 



On Thursday night we found the harbour-ice to be 

 quietly drifting out, of course taking us with it. The night 

 was calm, the current in Bellot Strait very strong, we were 

 almost helpless under the circumstances, and therefore felt 

 the danger of our position. To warp the ship along the 



