TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 195 
sand and sweepings of the decks, that used to be 
thrown overboard, drifted there, and the snow in 
that space is now completely honeycombed, if J 
may use the expression. The reason of this is 
obvious; it is caused by the sand and sweepings 
just mentioned absorbing the rays of the sun, 
and by that means acting on the snow; and the 
same reason will account for the pools of water 
that are met with on the snow, on the land, where 
it is mixed with earth. Another circumstance oc- 
curred to-day, that shews, if possible, in a stronger 
degree, the alteration in the weather, which is, 
that we had two showers of rain, one in the 
morning, and the other in theevening. ‘This is 
such an extraordinary phenomenon in these re- 
gions, that when the first shower was reported, we 
all ran on, deck to see it, and some were not 
satisfied even with that, but were so much taken 
with the novelty of the thing, that they went out- 
side to receive a little of it. 
Saturday, 27th.— ‘Two ivory gulls were seen 
to-day, from which we may infer, that there 
must be open water at no great distance off. 
Among the many instances that I have lately 
mentioned, of the favourable change that has taken 
place in the state of the weather, nothing can 
more clearly shew this, than a circumstance 
that occurred this afternoon, viz. that two mus- 
quitoes have been caught. They were rather 
smaller than those of tropical climates, but  re- 
sembled them in every other respect. Great 
portions of the hills are now uncovered of their 
winter garb, and vegetation is in some places well 
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