202 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. December 



officers from men, except from some peculiarity in 

 height or gait. It has been suggested that we should 

 decorate our seal-skin caps with a distinguishing mark 

 like the knights of old. 



' With the present comparatively high temperature 

 the roof of the snow-house over the galley is continually 

 dripping, and has to be rebuilt or patched up about 

 once a week. By incessant care and attention, the 

 ventilation of the ship has been much improved, and 

 there is little now left to wish for except in the officers' 

 cabins. They are so full of gear that the air cannot 

 circulate freely, and are therefore very damp. The 

 mess-deck is ventilated through the midship part of the 

 lower-deck, where there are three stoves constantly 

 burning. 



fc The total consumption of coal is 1 8 cwt. a week. 

 The galley fire burns 105 lbs. a day ; captain's fire, 

 25 lbs. ; ward-room, 28 lbs. ; three midship lower-deck 

 stoves, 28 lbs. each ; small stove before the galley on the 

 mess deck, 25 lbs. ; and the washing-room stove, 15 lbs. 

 With this consumption, the average temperature of the 

 lower deck is 49°. 



' 3rd. — To-day the barometer was falling slowly 

 with a light breeze from the S.S.E., and a very unusual 

 rise in the temperature to 25°. I supposed that this 

 denoted that a strong gale from the southward had 

 broken up the ice in Kennedy Channel, and that the air 

 had become raised in temperature by passing over the 

 uncovered water ; but at 2 p.m. it was reported that the 

 temperature had risen to 30° ; as this was much higher 

 than the known temperature of the seawater below the 

 ice, 28°*5, 1 looked at the thermometer myself to confirm 



