THE RETURN TO COLD AND DARKNESS. 471 



to be opened, and kept open after ten p. m. Promptly 

 the complaint of being cold is made, though the air 

 does not move along the berth deck a mile an hour I 

 am sure. But, by serving out some seal-skin blankets, 

 additional cover is given, and the complaint ceases. As 

 a further effort to reduce carbonic acid, since last Sun- 

 day's observations I have ordered the berth deck doors 

 opened at and after nine p. m. 



Beginning on September 1st, I have instituted the 

 practice of serving out two ounces of rum once a week, 

 generally Wednesday night, to all hands. This I con- 

 sider a good thing, not only because it conduces to 

 sociability, but because it breaks the monotony, and 

 gives something to look forward to. This, and two 

 glasses of sherry at dinner on Sunday, constitute the 

 extent of our tippling. What a country this is, and 

 how monotonous a life we lead, may be inferred from 

 the fact that two ounces of rum every Wednesday are 

 looked forward to as a change and excitement. 



October loth, Friday. — Desiring to get some idea of 

 the amount of air passing through the berth deck I 

 took a pocket anemometer down there at eleven p. m. 

 and obtained the following results : — 



Starboard door sill = GO ft. per minute, in (i. e. from aft for- 

 ward). 

 Port door sill = 99 ft. per minute, in (i. e. from aft forward). 

 Skylight hole = 96 ft. per minute, up (i. e. from aft below). 

 Open air = 570 ft. per minute. 



Temperature at berth deck 49° Fahrenheit. Tem- 

 perature, open air, 10.5°, Fahrenheit. 



October lQth, Saturday. — The clearing of the sky 

 at midnight last night continued, I am happy to say, 

 giving us twenty -four hours of bright weather, and so 



