DEATH OF POOR JACK. 25 



but I heard only one tune, which in time and other 

 features much resembled a highland coronach. The 

 fingering was good, but bowing execrable, the action 

 being from the shoulder, with which as a centre and 

 stiffened arm and hand as a radius, they made a series 

 of sweeps greater or less as requii'ed by the time and 

 string touched : they placed great weight upon the 

 bow, producing hideous screeching notes ; shuTing or 

 stops they had evidently no idea of. I have little 

 doubt that their slight knowledge of the violin has 

 been derived from the Russians. 



The "housing over" was completed about this time, 

 and we looked cosy enough. From mast to mast, at the 

 height of seventeen feet from the deck, the lower yards 

 and topmasts were secured as a roof-tree ; on these, 

 sloping to the gunwales, the smaller spars were sup- 

 ported at equal distances ; across these again, poles and 

 staves were placed, forming a species of lattice-work, 

 over which a thick covering of felt was stretched, with 

 skylights here and there, and a sallyport on the poop. 



Here let me mourn the death of poor Jack. This 

 was a sheep which had long survived his comrades 

 with whom he had been brought on board at 

 Plymouth, and had been reserved for Sir John 

 Franklin in case of falling in with him ; he had now 

 travelled over 20,000 miles with us, and was a general 



