252 OF THE EXPEDITION 



January. — Wind N. and N.E. cold in earnest; more 

 mild in the end. 



February. — Wind N. and N.E. extreme cold : then rain; 

 thawing E. and S. winds ; cold and rain. 



From the foregoing extract it may be observed, that the 

 cold of winter sets in early in September (the above months 

 being dated on the first day of each), and that the prevailing 

 winds throughout the months of that season are E. N. or 

 N.E., and these are connected with the expressions, cold, 

 snow, storm and cold, excessively cold, storm and snow 

 dust, excessively cold, and cold in earnest. The latter 

 phrase the reader must interpret for himself. 



Mr. Ellis, who, as has been mentioned, remained during a 

 winter in Hudson's Bay, states that the winter began there 

 in the latter end of September, with sleet and large tlakes 

 of snow. When the wind was westerly or southerly, the 

 cold was very supportable ; but when the wind was northerly, 

 or north-westerly, it was excessively keen, with drift snow 

 as small as grains of sand. 



From a glance back to my Journal, it will be seen that in 

 the summer months, northerly, north-easterly, or easterly 

 winds, promote the process of freezing. The extract from 

 Crantz's Journal shows that those winds prevail in winter, 

 at which time the field ice is formed in the arctic seas ; 

 and Ellis's account of northerly winds exercising dominion 

 and similar influence in Hudson's Bay, aids the conclusion 



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