246 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. VIII. 



but was also accompanied by an advantage scarcely less 

 important which had not been anticipated. This was the 

 perfect and uniform warmth maintained during the winter 

 in both the cable-tiers, which, when cleared of all the stores, 

 gave us another habitable deck, on which more than one- 

 third of the men's hammocks were berthed : thus affording 

 to the ships' companies, during seven or eight months of the 

 year, the indescribable comfort of nearly twice the space for 

 their beds, and twice the volume of air to breathe in. It 

 need scarcely be added, how conducive to wholesome ven- 

 tilation, and to the prevention of moisture below, such an 

 arrangement proved ; suffice it to say that we have never 

 before been so free from moisture, and that I cannot but 

 chiefly attribute to this apparatus the unprecedented good 

 state of health we enjoyed during this winter." — pp. 44, 45. 



It is greatly to be lamented that this testimony 

 of the good effects of a very simple contrivance had 

 not been attended to before the inefficient, trouble- 

 some, and expensive quackery apparatus had been 

 permitted in certain of her Majesty's ships. 



The preparations and precautionary measures 

 necessary for securing the ships occupied all hands 

 for some time, and they were not finally settled till 

 about the middle of October. Parry omits no 

 opportunity of recording whatever may appear to 

 be conducive to the benefit of trade or navigation. 

 Thus he states : — 



" Late as we had this year been in reaching Sir James 

 Lancaster's Sound, there would still have been time for a 

 ship engaged in the whale fishery to have reaped a tolerable 

 harvest, as we met with a number of whales in every part 

 of it, and even as far as the entrance of Port Bowen. The 



