SLEDGE JOUJ?NEY. 417 



rocks — were incontestably seen by all ; but upon leaving- 

 our tents in tlie evening it had all disappeared. 



Nearly resembling tliis, in a physical point of view, we 

 fi^equently observed, during our spring sledge-journey, 

 parhelia, or mock suns, caused by the refraction of the 

 sun's light by the ice-crystals floating in the upper 

 strata of air. These mock suns sometimes form a double 

 circle round the sun, with a coloured bow beyond, and 

 horizontal stripes of light emanating from the sun itself. 

 The inner part of this bow is always red, the outer 

 shading off" into pale green and a very light sky-blue. 

 The first circle is bright yellow within ; the second of 

 a yellowish grey. This phenomenon only takes place in 

 a yellow, vapourish atmosphere, with horizontal strata, 

 and a somewhat cloudy sky. 



It was, however, too dangerous to give our undivided 

 attention to this wonderful phenomenon of nature to the 

 neglect of all surrounding objects; for, though these 

 appearances are frequent, bears are more frequent still. 

 Indeed, bear-hunting took its turn in our hunting-roll, 

 and some of us more than once narrowly escaped being 

 torn to pieces. 



Amongst other disagreeables of an Arctic sledge- 

 journey is its monotony. The ideas and wishes contained 

 within the limited horizon of life in the Arctic-world pass 

 as quickly away as the eye is wearied by the monotony 

 of the landscape. 



Conversation carried on by men straining at the traces 

 can certainly not be very animated. The frost prevents 

 smoking, for the pipes freeze. There is a continued 

 conflict against the loss of warmth ; and the cold pene- 

 trates in a hundred different ways. Now the chin is 



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