THE RETURN OF DAYLIGHT. 247 



thermometers decline to work longer and the mercury 

 freezes solid ; spirit thermometer No. 4,402, at that time 

 reads minus 4:7" and goes down 2° more before end of 

 day. As the spirit thermometers are not reliable it is 

 safe to assert that it has been to-day below minus 50°. 



An alarming amount of carbonic acid gas, 5.304 vol- 

 umes per thousand, or .5304 per cent., was found on 

 the berth deck at eleven p. m. Seeking for a cause I 

 found that in the press of things requiring our atten- 

 tion of late, the iron ventilating pipe over the berth 

 deck skylight had not been kept clear of ice, being in 

 fact chock full of a solid mass, and effectually prevent- 

 ing the exit of foul air or the entrance of fresh air. 

 Had it cleared o 



February 9th, Monday. — There is very little to re- 

 cord to-day in the form of a change. Resuming work 

 early this morning we broke out all the provisions and 

 other stores contained in the little store-room, between 

 fore hold and coal bunkers, in order to get at the flood- 

 gates. We found that the port gate was tightly closed, 

 and that no water flowed through on that side. On 

 the starboard side, however, the case was different. 

 Owing to an accumulation of rust and dirt, the long 

 rod from the spar deck extending to the end of the 

 screw thread on the spindle working the gate failed to 

 bite the screw thread, so that turn the rod as we might 

 it would neither close nor open the gate. Clearing 

 away the dirt and rust we finally got the gate shut, 

 but found that enough water leaked through into the 

 engine-room to require the Sewell pump to be kept 

 running fifteen minutes every hour. However we are 

 holding our own. This experiment had to be tried be- 

 fore we attempted to rely on the steam-cutter engine 

 doing the work which might escape from the Baxter 



