108 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. IV. 



- 54° ; the less to have been expected as the old year 

 had closed with mild weather. On the following 

 day Parry says, " Notwithstanding the low tem- 

 perature of the external atmosphere, the officers 

 contrived to act, as usual, the play announced for 

 this evening ; but it must be confessed that it was 

 almost too cold for either the actors or the audience 

 to enjoy it, especially those of the former who under- 

 took to appear in female dresses." It is some conso- 

 lation, however, to be told that there was no wind; 

 and the severest cold has been stated to be tolerable 

 in a calm. In March the snow began to melt, with 

 a temperature of 20° to 30° in the sun, but with - 22° 

 to — 25° in the shade. Luminous arches, parhelia, 

 and the Aurora were frequent, but not particularly 

 remarkable. Towards the end of April the ther- 

 mometer continued above the freezing point in the 

 shade for the greater part of two days ; and about 

 the middle of May the ships were once again afloat, 

 the operation of cutting the ice round them being 

 completed. 



Parry, however, observes that it was sufficiently 

 discouraging to his hope of a further progress to the 

 westward, to perceive that on the last day of May, 

 " the sea still presented the same unbroken and con- 

 tinuous surface of solid and impenetrable ice, and 

 ice that could not be less than from six to seven feet 

 in thickness, as we knew it to be about the ships. 

 When to this circumstance was added the considera- 



