172 



VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. 



October 



alone, they afterwards stood the unusually heavy work 

 admirably. 



There was not one day while Markham was travel- 

 ling that he could have obtained snow of sufficient 

 consistency to enable him to build snow -houses for 

 shelter by night. 



Subjoined is the weight of the sledge equipments 

 before starting and on the return of the party ; the 

 change is due entirely to the constantly increasing 

 moisture of the articles. The contracted dimensions 

 by freezing was considerable. 



Five hares were shot by Lieutenant Parr on Cape 

 Kichardson, and traces of ptarmigan were seen there 

 and at Cape Joseph Henry. 



The temperature ranged between 15° above and 

 22° below zero. The party was prevented travelling on 

 two days by gales of , wind ; and it is remarkable that 

 on one of these days, October 3, when they were 

 detained by a northerly gale at Cape Joseph Henry, 

 we experienced a calm at Floeberg Beach. 



The fall of temperature which was experienced on 

 board the ship on the 14th appears to have occurred 

 several hours previously at a position only eight miles 

 distant towards the north-west. 



The usual ration of spirit at lunch was changed for 



