THE RETURN TO COLD AND DARKNESS. 475 



stratus clouds moving from north to south, and at that mo- 

 ment extending from the zenith to the southern horizon, ob- 

 scuring the moon and the stars (north of the zenith the sky- 

 was clear, except a streak of cirro-stratus above a small bank 

 of rising cumulo-stratus). Immediately following the first- 

 named cumulo-stratus clouds, and near the zenith, was a faint 

 auroral arch extending from east to west, with its ends slightly 

 curving to the southward, and hidden by the clouds near the 

 horizon. As the clouds nearly uncovered the east end, a mass 

 of bright green light shot up, and spread like a fan over 10° 

 of arc ; and just as the east end was completely uncovered the 

 mass changed into brilliant green, spiral curtains, terminating 

 a bright white arch through the zenith to west. After per- 

 haps a minute, the clouds being well clear of the arch, the 

 light paled and lost colors, and the arch ends straggled back to 

 northwest and northeast, the centre being at the zenith. The 

 moon then became entirely uncovered, the floe seemed lighted 

 as in midday, and but few faint streaks of arches remained, 

 thin and almost indeterminate." 



W. N. W. winds, and falling temperature until mid- 

 night, when it jumped up from minus 14.5° to minus 

 7.5°, being mild and pleasant by comparison. 



October ISth, Monday. — A clay of no particular oc- 

 currence worthy of mention. 



October 20th, Wednesday . — I do not notice that I 

 am more sensitive to cold this winter than I was last 

 winter, but I am certainly more sensitive to heat. 

 With the temperature of the outside air at 14° or 15° 

 I find it soft and mild, and were it not that my hands 

 break out with chilblains and old frost bites from last 

 winter, I should experience no difficulty in going bare- 

 handed. Of course when I go out on the ice I wear 

 my fur jacket and suit generally, and am well pro- 

 tected. But in the cabin, with a temperature of 50°, 

 wearing ordinary clothing, I am often too warm, and 

 when by accident the temperature runs up to 60° I am 



