172 FOOTBALL. 



largely contributed to our comforts. With these 

 incitements to enjoyment, no wonder that care 

 was forgotten ; mirth prevailed, friends were 

 toasted, home remembered, and the evening 

 passed quickly and happily away. 



December 26th, some occasional gusts of wind 

 came from the south-east, and as well as the 

 mist over the land would allow us to judge, we 

 seemed to have gone a little to the eastward. 

 The severity of the cold daily increased : the 

 temperature was. 44° — ; and as the effect of this 

 was aided by strong winds and gales from the 

 north-west, it is not surprising that we felt it more 

 acutely than formerly. All occupation outside 

 the ship, except for amusement merely, was now 

 abandoned, for notwithstanding the unremitting 

 endeavours of the officers to keep the men in 

 sufficient exercise for the rapid circulation of the 

 blood, such was their perverseness or sluggishness, 

 that though constantly frost-bitten from mere 

 want of exertion, they would lounge about, when 

 left to themselves, with the listlessness which be- 

 longs to a tropical climate. One expedient pro- 

 posed was the game of football, and every day, the 

 whole crew were made to play at this active and 

 amusing diversion with the officers, who left no- 

 thing untried to encourage them. Still in spite 

 of all our efforts, fresh men were daily seized 

 with numbness of limbs, affections of the gums, 



