22G VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. January 



wrapped up. Hoods on the sealskin dresses afford 

 valuable protection, but the edges collect a large amount 

 of frozen vapour which it is difficult to remove. A 

 comforter covering the lower part of the face freezes 

 to the beard and from its hiding the chin is dangerous. 

 One officer was frost-bitten in this way for some time, 

 without his companion being able to observe it and 

 warn him. He is now suffering in. consequence. 



' The twilight at noon is increasing very rapidly. 

 Looking in a southerly direction we can now just 

 distinguish a man at a distance of one hundred and 

 twenty-five yards ; looking in a northerly direction 

 with our backs to the light we can see an individual 

 at a distance of one hundred and seventy-five yards, 

 but this applies only to mid-day. 



' With the cold weather the ice has contracted and 

 cracked near the shore : the temperature in each crack 

 is minus 2°, which may be taken as the maximum tem- 

 perature of the vapour ascending from the water. I 

 therefore conclude that unless there is some open 

 water in our neighbourhood it is impossible for us to 

 experience a warmer temperature than this before the 

 return of spring. The amount of contraction is well 

 marked by the opening of two parallel cracks between 

 the land and the fioebergs ; these fissures, which are 

 two and-a-half inches across, being on an average 

 about three hundred feet apart. A cask, situated on 

 the intermediate ice, supporting the chain cable which 

 connects the ship with the shore, has rolled back one 

 inch. Unless we suppose the ship and the mass of 

 fioebergs, resting on a base of at least one hundred and 

 fifty yards broad, to have moved off shore, the cables 



