1875 AMUSEMENTS. 189 



the shore and placed on a pedestal four and a half feet 

 above the ice level and seventy-seven feet from the ship. 



' ith. — A calm morning ; the outer pack has closed 

 in again and the temperature has fallen. A row of 

 casks, about twenty feet apart, has been established in 

 a line between the ship and the Greenwich and Kew 

 observatories. In a thick snow-drift, owing to the ten- 

 dency to keep one's head down to avoid facing the 

 sharp snow and cold wind, these marks are of less use 

 than might be supposed. The black links of the chain 

 cable between the stern of the ship and the shore are 

 the best guiding marks in a heavy snow-drift. 



' The moon being entirely absent we have only the 

 mid-day twilight to lighten us. At noon, it was light 

 enough to put out all the stars except those of the first 

 magnitude. The clouds in the southern sky were 

 tinted with a dark brick red. This is probably the 

 last glimpse of the poet's " blush of dawn " which we 

 shall experience for a long time. 



' hth. — A fresh breeze from the S.W. during the 

 night has again formed a few water-pools in the offing ; 

 but it would appear to be now incapable of producing 

 a long continuous water-channel. ' Shut up as we are, 

 there is a great difficulty in finding suitable prizes for 

 winners in games of chance ; one does not wish to 

 stop cards, backgammon, and other games amongst the 

 crew ; in fact I encourage these pastimes ; but whereas 

 the officers can establish a score book at one penny a 

 point, the men, I fear, cannot so readily institute a 

 recognized stake. How great a need there is for some 

 article of currency is shown by games being played in 

 the wardroom jokingly for lucifer matches. Candles 



