1875 THE ROYAL ARCTIC THEATRE. 195 



pearly twilight in the southern sky at noon is very 

 clear and decided. 



' 18th. — Instead of the usual Thursday readings and 

 songs, the Eoyal Arctic Theatre was opened this 

 evening, after a close, I believe, of twenty-three years. 

 Owing to the large size of the lower deck we are 

 enabled to erect the stage there with the temperature 

 of 50°, an advantage appreciated by both actors and 

 audience. A representation held on the upper deck, 

 with a temperature of about twenty degrees below 

 zero, leads everyone to long for the finale at an early 

 hour. 



' The acting was excellent, and everything went off 

 well. Aldrich's frequent and pleasant performances on 

 the piano have quite put a stop to the intended for- 

 mation of a band. He very kindly plays dance music 

 on Thursday evenings after the usual gathering, much 

 to the delight of the numerous dancers. The drop 

 scene was embellished with a representation of Austria, 

 America, and England struggling for the Pole.' 



Owing to the small size of the ' Discovery's ' lower 

 deck a large snow-house was constructed on the floe, 

 which served as a theatre and lecture-room. 



•ISth. — At 11 a.m. the magnetometer and electro- 

 meter both showed a disturbance. At 6 30 p.m. there 

 was a fine clear paraselena, the arch being forty-four and 

 a half degrees in diameter. Three mock moons were 

 visible, one above and one on each side of the moon. 

 The prismatic colours were very decided in the halo pass- 

 ing through the horizontal mock moon, showing red to- 

 wards or nearest to the real moon. The upper vertical 

 reflection was not clearly defined, being merely a bright 



