1875 PREPARATIONS FOR AUTUMN TRAVELLING. 149 



made up of icebergs. In consequence of the bareness 

 of the land from snow, the dust has been carried off 

 by the wind, and has discoloured all the floebergs. 

 This evidently accounts for the dust sediment left at 

 the bottom of the water pools on the surface of the 

 floes, and for that frozen deeply into the ice. 



'After three days of constant work, everyone 

 enjoyed to-day a well-earned rest.' 



During the following week the weather remained 

 calm with a clear atmosphere, and the ship became 

 firmly frozen in. Preparations were now made for 

 the autumn travelling, each man finding full employ- 

 ment in fitting his clothing and preparing the necessary 

 sledge equipment. The light sails were unbent, the 

 running rigging unrove, and the ship made as snug 

 aloft as possible. The heavy sails were left bent to 

 the yards, and did not suffer in the least from their 

 exposure. The ship's company's mess deck was en- 

 larged considerably, and cleared of all the stores and 

 provisions which had necessarily been stowed there 

 during our passage from England. The midship part 

 of the deck was prepared as the main entrance from 

 the upper deck, and was also fitted as a workshop for 

 the artificers and others. As a greater security against 

 possible danger, the powder was deposited in a snow- 

 house on shore. 



Owing to the great improvement in ships' galleys 

 since the time of previous Arctic expeditions, the heat 

 of the galley funnel was found to be insufficient to 

 melt snow in sufficient quantities to provide a supply 

 of water ; an alteration was made in the tank for the 

 better, but throughout the winter, in both the * Alert ' 



