THE RETURN TO COLD AND DARKNESS. 455 



a Nanaimo coal, which burns like powder, and requires 

 a large quantity to generate heat- Last winter we had 

 much anthracite coal in our daily issue, and that lasted 

 longer and did better work. 



September 20th, Monday. ■ — The cold weather we 

 have been experiencing warns us that we can no longer 

 run the quarter deck bilge-pump without incurring the 

 risk of freezing and bursting it. Accordingly, this af- 

 ternoon we cease to use it, and fall back upon the for- 

 ward spar deck bilge-pump, which, being covered by the 

 deck-house, is protected from freezing. With the stove 

 on the galley platform, as proposed, I hope to keep it 

 from freezing all winter. To bring this pump into 

 play the flood-gates in the water-tight bulkhead are 

 closed, and the water allowed to bank up until at a 

 height of seven inches it may be drawn by the pump. 

 Some little water finds its way aft into the fire-room, 

 and is pumped out from time to time by the steam- 

 cutter's boiler, driving the altered main engine bilge- 

 pump. Our distilling being done between four p. m. 

 and three a. m., we can pump during that time, when 

 necessary, letting the water accumulate during the day 

 (amounting to five inches probably), as just now it will 

 not freeze and do damage. We shall have to con- 

 sider carefully whether the steam pumping increases 

 our coal expenditure or not, for if it does, we shall 

 have to pump this small amount of water by hand, 

 altering back the main engine bilge-pump for that 

 purpose. 



By observations to-day a drift since yesterday of 

 four and a half miles W. by S. is shown. 



The carpenters commenced building a porch outside 

 of the deck-house door, using portions of the observa- 

 tory for that purpose. When our winter housing is 



