136 THE VOYAGE OF THE * DISCOVERY ' [May 



light for twelve hours at an expenditure of about 3 lbs. of 

 carbide. The winter awning is spread, and all is as snug as 

 we can make it; but the temperature is extremely low, and 

 we have the old trouble with the ice inside our living-spaces.' 



' May 6. — A brilliant idea struck us a fortnight ago. We 

 thought of putting our large fish-trap down on the shallow 

 bank off the cape, and weighing it every few days to see what 

 it contained. Visions of supplying our whole company with 

 this delightful luxury were before our eyes. The fish-trap 

 consists of a large pyramidal frame, six feet square on the 

 base, and covered with wire netting, in which there are cone- 

 shaped openings. 



' In accordance with our idea, this trap was taken out to 

 the bank, which is about a mile from the ship, and over which 

 the ice is still comparatively thin. Here a high tripod was 

 erected, a hole made, and the trap lowered ; two days after it 

 was got up again, and to our great joy we found it contained 

 105 fish. Our visions seemed realised ; down went the trap 

 again, and without a moment's delay we set about making 

 another and digging a second hole close to the ship. This 

 was no light task, and the workers were lost to view from 

 above long before they reached the bottom of our solid ice, 

 which proved to be more than eight feet thick. However, at 

 length both traps were down, and since that we have been 

 getting them up every other day ; but, alas ! there has been a 

 most terrible falling-off in the catches. The outer trap fell 

 from 105 to thirty, then to ten, and lately we are lucky if we 

 find more than five or six. The inner has never had more 

 than this last number, and sometimes comes up empty. One 

 of the reasons for the failure of the outer trap is, I think, that 

 the seals have found it, and feel that they ought to have first 

 choice of the fish that it attracts, and this would naturally not 

 be encouraging to the latter. Sometimes the seals must run 

 full speed into the trap, because it often comes up badly 

 dented ; one can only hope it gives them a bad headache. 

 Another great enemy to our fishing industry is the small 

 shrimp -like amphipod ; these small creatures collect in 



