1875 COMMENCE HOUSING THE SHIP IN. . 165 



from two hundred to three hundred yards broad, open 

 for several hours. The pack still works alongshore 

 with each tide, but does not move so quickly as it did. 



' 9 th. — This morning the weather has completely 

 changed and the temperature has fallen to minus 10°. 

 Everyone felt as if a weight were being removed as 

 the mist rolled away before a light northerly wind, 

 giving place to a cloudless sky. The travellers will be 

 very thankful for the change and the fall in tempera- 

 ture, for we nfay soon expect a dry floe and hard snow. 



1 The sun was seen at 8h. 45m. a.m. for a few minutes, 

 rising above the Greenland hills, and yet so slightly is 

 its pathway inclined to the horizon that at noon.it was 

 not more than one degree high. The hills south of us, 

 being elevated three degrees, hid it completely from 

 view. It remained more than six hours above the 

 horizon, nearly as long as during the shortest day in 

 England, in three days it will have left us altogether 

 for the winter. To-day we commenced housing the 

 ship in ; the snow, accumulated on the upper deck 

 during the last fall, has been levelled off ready to be 

 covered with gravel when the housing is complete. 

 At midnight the northern sky was quite bright with an 

 orange tint which at first was thought to be an aurora, 

 but as the sun was only ten degrees below the horizon 

 it was certainly the reflected twilight. 



' 10th. — Wishing to place a dark object on Cape 

 Sheridan to guide the sledge travellers expected back 

 in a day or two, a cairn built of casks, with a pole, 

 has been erected there, which will give them something 

 to steer for should the misty weather return. In the 

 evening the temperature again rose above zero. 



