TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS, 183 
much more in thickness this season, for the in- 
fluence of the sun is now very perceptible from 
noon until two o’clock. 
Monday, 27th.—'The people have been em- 
ployed for some days past in bringing stones down 
from the hills to the beach for ballast. This way 
of employing them happens to come very oppor- 
tunely, for some cases of scurvy have lately made 
their appearance ; but it is to be hoped, that since 
the weather now permits of their being employed in 
the open air, the disease will be prevented from 
spreading any farther. We found a fox to-day 
(dead) in one of the traps that were out; he is 
about the same size, and in every respect similar 
in appearance to the one caught by the Griper in 
the winter time. The weather, although fine, still 
keeps cold; for the thermometer, at four o’clock 
this morning, was as low as 33 below zero, and for 
some days past it has not, at any time of the day, 
been higher than 18°. 
Saturday, April 1st.— Paucity of events induces 
people sometimes to record things that are 
rather trivial, and of this description, I have no 
doubt many would consider the following cir- 
cumstance; but as it throws some light on 
a point that lay in obscurity, I shall insert it. 
What I allude to is a stone that was found 
to-day about three miles inland from the ship, 
having the letter P cut on it. As we had 
every reason to suppose that no civilized person 
had ever been on this island before ourselves, 
and as but few had been in the habit of going in 
the direction where the stone was found, it excited. 
N 4 
