32 CONSTANT DAYLIGHT. 



In a voyage over a portion of the globe so 

 entirely new to us, and so totally different in its 

 natural phenomena from those to which we had 

 been accustomed, either in our own country, or 

 in parts of the earth nearer the equator, we expe- 

 rienced much to interest us at almost every 

 step of our proceedings ; but nothing made so 

 deep an impression upon our senses as the change 

 from alternate day and night to which we had 

 been habituated from our infancy, to the continual 

 daylight to which we were subjected as soon 

 as we crossed the arctic circle. Where the 

 ground is but little trodden, even trifles are 

 interesting ; and I do not, therefore, hesitate to 

 describe the feelings with which we regarded this 

 change. The novelty, it must be admitted, was 

 very agreeable, and the advantage of constant 

 daylight, in an unexplored and naturally boiste- 

 rous sea, was too great to allow us even to wish 

 for* a return of the alternations above alluded to ; 

 but the reluctance we felt to quit the deck, when 

 the sun was shining bright upon our sails, and 

 to retire to our cabins to sleep, often deprived 

 us of many hours of necessary rest ; and when 

 we returned to the deck to keep our night- 

 watch, if it may be so called, and still found the 

 sun gilding the sky, it seemed as if the day would 

 never finish. 



