THE LAST OF THE JEANNETTE. 531 



ture, minus 39°, was forgotten ; and after walking long 

 enough to get the blood in circulation, such a glow of 

 heat was felt as tempted me to throw off my fur coat 

 and continue without it. I did not do it, however, for 

 no doubt I should have had my enthusiasm cooled. I 

 see very clearly we shall have to come back to snow 

 spectacles before long. Such a dazzling diamond dust 

 as the floe presents under the action of the sun's rays is 

 too trying for long endurance. And yet the sun has 

 only 15° or so altitude. Sunset 6.39, and considerable 

 daylight even at midnight. 



When the air is perfectly dry, and the sky cloudless, 

 the intensity of the sun's rays, even in these low temper- 

 atures, is wonderful. In fact, as we can have a dryness 

 of atmosphere here that is unusual in the tropics, except 

 in deserts, the sun's heat may be more uncomfortable 

 here on the same day than in places much further south, 

 though in the latter case the temperature shown by a 

 thermometer may be as much above zero as here it is 

 below. It is a fact verified by our experience that we 

 have had a greater sensation of cold in the summer, 

 when dampness and fog are common, than in the win- 

 ter, when the atmosphere was dry, although in summer 

 the temperature was from 30° to 40° plus, and in winter 

 from 30° to 40° minus. 



March 23d, Wednesday. — This month seems to hold 

 on with cold weather very steadily, still minus 39°. We 

 had very much warmer weather last year at this time, 

 though of course it should be remembered that we have 

 not had as great a degree of cold at any one time this 

 year as last. However, the air was so dry, the breeze 

 so light, and the sun so intense that we do not complain 

 of to-clay, for it has seemed delightful. With the sun 

 above the horizon for fourteen hours, strong twilight 



