{78 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
shore was observed to be on fire; every person ran 
immediately to put it out ; but the mats with which 
the inside of it was lined were so dry, that it was 
found impossible to extinguish it, or rather to 
smother it, for, as we had no water, the only thing 
that we could substitute was snow, which was 
thrown on it in great abundance, but with very 
little effect; as notwithstanding the violence 
of the fire, it melted very little of the snow. But 
although it did not extinguish the flames, it an- 
swered another purpose, almost equally beneficial, 
for by covering the different astronomical instru- 
ments, &c., they were secured from the fire, and 
after this important point had been accomplished, 
the roofing was pulled off, and in a few minutes 
after the whole was extinguished. When the 
wreck was cleared, it was found that very little 
damage had been done to any of the instruments ; 
the astronomical clocks, which were the most 
valuable articles there, were fortunately in the 
cases as they were landed, which saved them 
completely. A repeating circle was the only 
instrument of any importance that was injured ; 
and all the damage it sustained was its levels 
having got broken, most probably by the boil- 
ing of the spirits which they contained. A pair 
of mountain barometers, and two or three thermo- 
meters, were, I understand, destroyed, together 
with several articles of wearing apparel, (that 
had been taken there to get washed,) and 
three or four fowling-pieces, that had been there 
undergoing some repair: these had their stocks 
