THE DEAD OF WINTER. 195 



penditure will ruin us if we have to keep it up. Snow, 

 snow is what we want. 



The sheet-iron cover to the forward skylight, though 

 acting as a partial condenser for the berth deck, does 

 not keep it dry, and we shall have to resort to extra 

 felting. 



Deceniher 10th. Wednesday. — Avery curious addi- 

 tion was made to-day to our naturalist's collection in 

 the shape of the skull (?) and bones of codfish. These 

 l)ones were picked up by the cabin steward in his walk 

 to-day, between eleven and one, out of a large heap of 

 similar bones, a couple of miles from the ship. They 

 are probably the relics of some successful fishing on the 

 part of a bear or of a fox. Experimented to-day with 

 Snellen's types, to get an idea of the diminution of 

 light. At noon the type marked D = 9, which, under 

 ordinary circumstances, should have been seen at thirty 

 feet, was readable at but twenty feet. Approximately, 

 therefore, we have twenty thirtieths or two thirds of 

 full daylight at noon. 



I had placed to-day a series of thermometers in dif- 

 ferent parts of the ship, and commenced keeping a 

 record of the temperatures ; showing the temperatures 

 of the living quarters, of the reservoirs from which air 

 is received in them, and of the open air. For instance, 

 the temperature of the berth deck at ten p. m. was 

 68°, the old galley-room 45°, the deck-house 49°, the 

 cabin porch 14°, the cabin 51°, the open air 7°. 



December 11th, Thursday. — The situation this morn- 

 ing seemed to promise a repetition of our exciting 

 times. Daylight showed a crack in the ice ahead of 

 and nearly alongside the ship, extending from S. W. to 

 N. E. The opening was made so quietly that the 

 watch did not hear any movement beyond a light 



