CAPTAIN m'CLURE's DESPATCHES. 41 



a fresh meal to he issued twice weekh% and tiie usual Christmas 

 festivities to pass off with the greatest cheerfulness. As it was 

 to be our last, the crew were determined to make it memorable, 

 and tlieir exertions were completel}^ successful. Each mess was 

 gailv illuminated, and decorated with original paintings by our lower- 

 deck artists, exhiinting the ship in her perilous positions during the 

 transit of the Polar Sea, and divers other subjects ; but the grand 

 features of the day were the enormous plum-puddings, some weighing 

 261bs., haunches of venison, hares roasted, and soup made of the same, 

 with ptarmigan and sea-pies. Such dainties in such profusion I should 

 imagine never before graced a ship's lower deck ; any stranger to 

 have witnessed this scene could but faintly imagine that he saw a 

 crew which had passed upwards of two years in these dreary regions, 

 and three entirely upon their own resources, enjoying such excellent 

 health. So joyful, so happy, indeed such a mirthful assemblage, under 

 any circumstances, would be most gratifying to any officer ; but in 

 this lonelv situation I could not but feel deeply impressed, as I contem- 

 plated the gay and plenteous sight, with the many and great mercies 

 which a kind and beneficent Providence had extended towards us, to 

 whom alone is due the heartfelt praises and thanksgivings of all for the 

 great blessings we have hitherto experienced in positions the most 

 desolate which can be conceived. 



IMarch 1. — The most dreary and dark time is now passed, and severe 

 and trvino; it has been. The cold of the last two months was exces- 

 sive, January showing a mean of 44°, being 17" below the correspond- 

 ing period last year ; and one day the temperature fell to — 65", and 

 for 24 hours actually averaged — 62". I should have doubted the 

 correctness of the thermometer (as no former experience shows so 

 low a register), had it not been wtII tested the two preceding winters, 

 when it only fell to — .52° ; but, independent of the glass, the feel- 

 ings cave unmiitakeable evidence of the extreme keenness of the 

 weather, as, for one entire week, the temperature never rose above 

 40°, the wind being about S.S.W. ; from which quarter, during both 

 winters, we have invariably felt the greatest cold. I therefore imagine 

 that in the interior the land must be very lofty, as when the wind 

 veers to the north, which is directly off the Polar Sea, the glass rises, 

 showing the highest temperature when it is easterly. These low tem- 

 peratures have caused much moisture between decks, and, from not 

 being able to allow a sufficiency of firing to counteract the effect of 

 the damp atmosphere, it has been materially felt by the crew\ The 

 sick list at one period consequently increased to 1 9, — five being cases of 

 scurvy, and the same of dropsy; but now happily reduced to 10, and 

 the surgeon's report, upon the survey of their crew to-day, as to their 

 general state and condition, is as favourable as I could, under all cir- 

 cumstances, have anticipated. During the last month we have been 

 emplo^^ed in gravelling a distance of 800 yards towards the sea -ice, with 

 the hope of its weakening it, in the event of our being able to move 

 w4ien the season for navigation arrives. Upon the 3rd, told tlie men 

 off that where to proceed to England next month via the Mackenzie 

 and Baffin's Bay. They appeared extremely well satisfied with tlie 

 arrangement, as I explained to them my object was to send home all 

 who had suffered the most from the severity of the climate, and to 



