190 THE VOYAGE OF THE JE ANNETTE. 



Commenced the issue of lime juice to-day. For the 

 officers it is placed on the dinner-table with water and 

 sugar, and each one sweetens or waters it as he pleases ; 

 with the men it is served out by Sweetman, and an 

 ounce of sugar is furnii^hed at the same time, and as 

 the men go to dinner by watches they each receive and 

 consume the ration. 



Decennber od, Wednesday. — The report of the sur- 

 geon's examination is very satisfactory. Of the eight 

 officers the condition of six was pronounced excellent, 

 and of the remaining two (myself and the doctor), 

 good ; of the twenty-three men, twenty excellent, and 

 three good. A day of beautiful weather, and although 

 we hear the rumbling of the ice in the distance, noth- 

 ing occurs around us to disturb us. 



December ith, Thursday. — Were it not for our daily 

 walking exercise of two hours I fear we should stag- 

 nate. From eleven a. m. to one p. m., however, all 

 hands are sent out of the ship. The officers generally 

 walk, and the men go hunting, without success, or kick 

 foot-balls. We have a fine, level, smooth place, two 

 hundred and forty yards in length, to walk on, and we 

 manage to put in from four to six miles in the two 

 hours. This is the best of our daylight, for it is quite 

 dark until ten in the morning and after two in the af- 

 ternoon. Twilight does not make any supply of the 

 absent sun. Danenhower started a school of elemen- 

 tary navigation for the crew. 



December 6th, Saturday. — A cold spell has arrived, 

 but as the wonderful auroral display was on the 2d, I 

 fear it is stretching it too much to make a connection 

 with the cold weather. The highest temperature to- 

 day is minus 11°, and the lowest minus 24° (at end of 

 day with N. W. wind). Its effect on the ship was to 



