160 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. VI. 



the north-eastern boundary of America, and that the early 

 part of the next season would find us employing our best 

 efforts in pushing along its northern shores." — p. 118. 



Being now fixed in their winter quarters, it is 

 scarcely necessary to say that the first and earliest 

 attention of the provident Commander was directed 

 to the security of the ships, the arrangements for 

 the preservation of cleanliness, health, and comfort, 

 during a long prospective winter, as well as for the 

 economical expenditure of provisions, fuel, and all 

 other stores. At first, and for some time, apprehen- 

 sion was entertained respecting the security of the 

 ships in an open roadstead, facing the South ; as 

 the grounded masses on the shores of the bay 

 began to show symptoms of instability, one or two 

 having fallen over, and others turned round, so 

 that instead of being a protection these masses 

 might be looked upon rather as dangerous neigh- 

 bours ; other circumstances were calculated to ex- 

 cite apprehensions of danger, but happily they 

 escaped them all ; and the ships once frozen in and 

 beset by solid ice remained firm as rocks. 



It may be quite certain that nothing was omitted 

 by Parry that could tend to the health and comfort 

 of his crew, as due attention to cleanliness, superior 

 warmth, drying of clothes, airing the bedding, 

 and sleeping in hammocks, by which ventilation is 

 materially promoted. He says, 



" While care was thus taken to adopt all physical means 

 within our reach for the maintenance of health and comfort 



