THE DEAD OF WINTER. 189 



interest the result. I can see no change for the worse 

 from ordinary observation. We have at times been 

 troubled by not getting pure snow for drinking and 

 cooking purposes, and as this may continue until we 

 have a heavy snow-fall (for our distilling is not perfect) 

 I shall commence to-morrow the issue of a ration of one 

 ounce lime juice to every officer and man each day. 



December 2d, Tuesday. — A quiet day. We had, in 

 addition to one of the most beautiful moonlight effects 

 on the ice I had ever seen, and a sky perfectl}^ free 

 from clouds, a fine chance to witness auroral and other 

 effects. At ten p. m. a lunar rainbow was visible, show- 

 ing faintly the prismatic colors. Towards eleven p. m. 

 this was succeeded by a lunar halo in which the pris- 

 matic colors were clearly visible. Then flared up an 

 auroral arch, extending from N. to N. E., whose crown 

 was 34° in altitude, and this arch, as if by magic, ab- 

 sorbed the lunar halo, or caused it to disappear. Then 

 suddenly the lunar rainbow reappeared and arched 

 alongside the auroral arch ; and finally, at 11.50, the au- 

 roral arch became an auroral curtain, floating sheets of 

 trembling flame down to the horizon. Not a sound was 

 heard during all this display. Add to this picture the 

 ship thrown by the bright moonlight against a clear, 

 dark blue background, every rope and spar white with 

 frost, and a level floe surrounded with a fringe of fan- 

 tastically shaped hummocks, and it would make a study 

 for an artist. I have remarked heretofore that these 

 wonderful auroral displays are forerunners of cold 

 weather, and I shall watch with interest the result of 

 this very high barometer and extraordinary atmos- 

 pheric phenomena. Very probably we are lulled by a 

 false sense of security while the ice is so quiet, but I 

 shall undress before retiring to-night, a thing I have 

 done but once since November 13th. 



