14 PASSAGE ACROSS 



1824. in the course of the day we had rain and fog, 

 July, during which the wind moderated, but at night 

 it freshened again. We lay-to under close- 

 reefed main-topsail until midnight of the 22d^ 

 when the wind fell, and, as the 23d was light 

 and variable, I took advantage of the smooth 

 water to receive all our leaden shot, spars, and 

 small stores, from the Snap. 



The calm weather continued until noon of 

 the 24th, when the wind came round fresh 

 from the southward, and the Snap again took 

 us in tow ; but at three, having carried away 

 her main-topmast, she cast off. 



On the morning of the 25th, the wind 

 gradually moderated to a calm, Avith a long 

 rolling sea. Heavy rain had fallen for about 

 eight hours during the early part of the day, 

 but in the evening the sky gradually cleared 

 up, with that transparent brightness so pecu- 

 liar to the Polar regions. At sunset it pre- 

 sented a most beautiful appearance. In the 

 north-west was an arch, whose bases were 

 from east to north-west, where its extremity 

 joined a second bow, stretching to the south- 

 south-east. That to the north-west was top- 

 ped by clouds of the most vivid orange co- 

 lour, shaded with deep purple, in long wav- 

 ing, but curved, bands ; and below these 



