THE DEAD OF WINTER. 193 



We also begin to feel the darkness. Four hours' day- 

 light is not much. We have not even the moon now 

 to bear us company. We do not suffer of course, and 

 I notice no diminution of appetite. Everybody rallies 

 around the table at meal times, and is as cheerful as 

 usual. But it is unnatural for us to have this enforced 

 close companionship, and we seem to get in each other's 

 way. We are warm and comfortable, but we would 

 like to be able to go " somewheres." We cannot go 

 oat and walk in the dark with any object except exer- 

 cise, and our two hours' walking match from eleven 

 to one seems to supply enough of that. We read and 

 smoke, and growl at the stove when it does not throw 

 out enough heat, or at the cabin door when it lets in 

 too much cold. The uncertainty of our remaining 

 quiet in the ice for an hour at a time prevents the erec- 

 tion of our observatory, and the taking of interesting 

 astronomical and magnetic observations. We are able 

 to make our hourly meteorological observations only. 

 Our suspicions of the moving of the ice seem to have 

 communicated themselves to the dogs, who come on 

 board regularly to sleep ; in fact some of them march 

 up the gang-plank as methodically as we do when it 

 strikes two bells. A few of them, however, remain on 

 the ice to make us chase them, when the ice breaks up, 

 and we are on the anxious seat. 



We have had no bear excitements for some time. 

 Fox tracks are plentiful, but no foxes have as yet been 

 seen. Occasionally our hunters report having seen 

 blood where a bear has caught a seal and eaten him ; 

 and bear tracks are followed up until daylight fails, and 

 the chase must end. From ten p. m. to midnight we 

 had a beautiful auroral display in the. form of loops. 



December Sth, Monday. — I am afraid we are on the 



13 



