TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 149 
being taken for dead, so that when those who were 
around him got careless, he might watch an oppor- 
tunity of getting off. Such an artifice might, and 
very probably does, enable these animals to escape 
from the bears and wolves occasionally ; with his 
present captors, however, his wily tricks have little 
chance of affording him an opportunity of effecting 
his purpose. He is not hurt in any way, for he was 
caught in an empty cask with a slide in one end of 
it, which fell, and shut him up immediately on his 
laying hold of the bait within. It is probable 
therefore that they will be able to-preserve him 
alive for some time, or at least until his habits are 
known, which I shall take an opportunity of men- 
tioning hereafter, should he display any peculi- 
arities deserving of notice. Very few deer have 
been seen for some days past, so that I am afraid, 
we shall not be able to lay in such a good winter 
stock of these animals as was at first expected, for 
the daylight now lasts but a very short time, so 
that it would be dangerous to go any distance on 
shore: there has been an order, indeed, issued 
some time ago, prohibiting any person from going 
out of sight of the ships.* Besides, the state of 
the weather now is not very favourable for long 
excursions. The thermometer this evening was 
as low as 28° below zero, and we have generally a 
breeze of wind, which, as I have already remarked 
two or three times, renders the cold less tolerable 
to our feelings. We find that the wind is almost 
* But if 1am not mistaken, this order was issued in con- 
sequence of what happened on the 10th instant, and with a 
view of preventing a recurrence of the same in future. 
ES 
