SNOWDEIFT, ETC. 399 



was a good thing for us tliat we could tell tlie approach 

 of such storms beforehand ; the quick over-casting of the 

 heavens, the light south wind, the rising of the thermo- 

 meter, and the falling of the barometer, never left us in 

 doubt as to what to expect, and we always had time for 

 preparations. 



An observation which we had made several times in 

 snow-drifting deserves to be mentioned. For instance, 

 when out in such strong snow-drifts, one feels completely 

 suffocated, as if the snow held back the breath by force, 

 and pierced deep into the lungs. This feeling is of course 

 stronger when facing the wind; it is even sensibly felt when 

 the wind is at the back. Wind without snow-drift has 

 not this effect. So striking was this that it was often and 

 on all sides remarked. Through these almost uninter- 

 rupted storms our scientific work was still carried on as 

 far as possible. This was mainly astronomical and mag- 

 netic; but others, too, were begun; for instance — experi- 

 ments upon the speed of sound. The thickness of the ice 

 at this time (20th January) measured fifty-three English 

 inches. The zoological collection obtained an increase 

 from some small crabs (Gopepodce) , which were caught in 

 the tide-hole, and were found to be the source of the 

 shining we had so often observed. This was indeed an 

 interesting appearance. When the ice in the tide-hole 

 was removed, it glistened in many places like phosphorus, 

 and then slowly disappeared. These small crabs were 

 tumbling about in water one degree below the freezing- 

 point, nearly under the much colder ice, and when they 

 were taken out with the surrounding ice, and it was melted 

 in the cabin, they soon died. 



Thus the month of January drew to a close. The day- 



