282 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Aug. 



attacked my most vulnerable feature, my nostrils. I could 

 feel them pricking and tingling on the road to frost-bite, but as 

 I was talking to Barne on my way back this feeling suddenly 

 ceased, the air seemed to grow much warmer, and on going to 

 the screen I found the temperature was —36°, whereas a short 

 time before I had left it at —51^°. It was a striking example 

 of the waves of temperature that occur in this comparatively 

 calm, clear weather. Koettlitz, who has been to his thermo- 

 meter off the cape, reports a minimum of —62° and a present 

 temperature of — 57'5°, which is probably the degree of cold 

 in which Shackleton and Hodgson are now labouring to clear 

 the latter's fish trap, a task in which they are consequently 

 not much to be envied. The cold is pushing through the 

 weak spots in our defences below, and makes itself known as 

 usual by an increase of ice on the bulkheads and over the 

 bolts, but we have not much difficulty in keeping the air in the 

 wardroom up to 50°.' 



' August g. — Preparations for sledging are being pushed on 

 apace ; it is astonishing what a lot of time and attention it all 

 takes. 



' There is now a bright orange light to the northward at 

 noon, and each day brings a nearer approach of the sun; in 

 a week we shall have good light for several hours, and in a 

 fortnight we shall be welcoming back the sun. 



' The result of the snowless wind which we have had of 

 late has been to harden and polish the surfaces of the floes 

 and the hill slopes. I find it impossible to maintain footing 

 on slopes which I could climb easily a fortnight ago. Seals 

 have ceased to appear on the ice for a long time, but they are 

 still about beneath it, and can be heard at the tide cracks and 

 at their snow-covered breathing-holes ; occasionally they come 

 under the ship and give a prolonged whining snort, unlike any 

 sound one can recall, but which can be distinctly heard within. 

 In the early winter we were much puzzled by this noise, and 

 many declared that it was caused by the ice, but we have since 

 traced it without doubt to the seals. 



Many times lately we have heard mysterious noises on 



