Nov. 9, 1876] 



NATURE 



35 



their suction pipes more than six feet below the water-line, 

 remained serviceable to the last. 



The long Arctic winter, with its unparalleled intensity 

 and duration of darkness produced by an absence of sun- 

 light for 142 days, was passed by each individual on 

 board with much cheerfulness and contentment. Owing 

 to the sameness in the daily routine, which, when looking 

 into futurity, is thought to entail a long duration of 

 dreary monotony, the time, in reality, passed with great 

 rapidity, and in January, when the first glimmering 

 increase in the midday twilight began to lengthen 

 sensibly day by day, the want of light was scarcely noticed 

 by any one ; and not until the sun actually returned on 

 March i did we in any way realise the intense darkness 

 we must have experienced for so long a period. The 

 manifold ordinary duties of the ship — to which were added 

 the constai)t repair of the snow embankment, which, in 

 consequence ot our being frozen in close to a stranded piece 

 of ice, was thrown down every springtide — kept the ship's 

 company fully employed, ana gave them plenty of exer- 

 cise during the day. On five evenings in the week a 

 school, formed on the lower deck under Commander 

 Markham and several of the officers, was well attended, 

 each Thursday being devoted to lectures, songs in cha- 

 racter, and readings, with occasional theatrical represen- 

 tations ; the whole so admirably arranged and conducted 

 by Commander Markham as to keep up the pleased 

 interest of all for the whole period. The ventilation of 

 the ship received the unceasing attention of Dr. Thomas 

 Colan and myself, and owing to the large extra space 

 amidships, left Httle or nothing to be desired in that 

 respect. The health of the officers and crew, with only 

 one exception, was most excellent, and the habitable deck 

 as dry as is possible in these regions, in a ship without an 

 extraordinary expenditure of coal. 



With the arrival of the new year preparations for the 

 spring travelling campaign commenced, the dogs being 

 exercised daily under the superintendence of Mr. George 

 Le Clere Iigerton, Sub-Lieutenant, as soon as there was 

 sufficient light. The pack in the offing remained in 

 motion until the first week in November, when it gradually 

 settled itself into position for the winter, the last pool of 

 water being seen on the i6th of the month off Cape 

 Rawson at the entrance to Robeson Channel. No move- 

 ment, whatever occurred in the ice during the winter, 

 except the formation of a tidal crack outside the grounded 

 ice, which opened 2 or 3 feet during the spring tides. 

 Although we had frequent evidence of strong winds pre- 

 vailing in Robeson Channel, the weather at our winter 

 quarters was remarkably calm ; indeed we may be said 

 to have wintered on the border of a Pacific Sea. The 

 prevailing wind was from the westward ; we never experi- 

 enced any easterly winds ; it always blew off the land. 

 Had it not been for the intervening calms, the persistent 

 westerly winds might have been well called a trade wind. 

 On only two days were we prevented by the wmd and 

 accompanying snow-drift from taking exercise outside the 

 ship. This quiet state of the atmosphere was productive 

 of the severest cold ever experienced in the Arctic 

 regions. 



Early in March, during a long continuance of cold 

 weather, the Alert registered a minimum of 737 below 

 zero; the Discovery, 2X the same time, 70*5 below zero. In 

 1850 the North Star, at Wolsenholme Sound, in lat. 76° 30' 

 N., recorded 69 "5 below zero. The Alert's minimum tem- 

 perature for twenty-four hturs was 7031 below zero, the 

 Discovery s minimum temperature for twenty- four hours 

 was 670 below zero ; Dr. Kane's, at Rensselaer Harbour, in 

 lat. 78° 37' N. in 1854, 58 01 below zero. Previously the 

 longest continuance of cold weather recorded, that by Sir 

 Edward Belcher at Nonhumberland Sound, in lat. 76° 52' 

 N., in 1853, was a mean temperature for ten consecutive 

 days of 48 9 below zero. The Discovery expeiienced a 

 mean temperature for seven consecutive days of 58*17 



ditto. The Alert experienced a mean temperature for 

 thirteen days of 58*9 ditto ; and for five days and nine 

 hours of 66*29. During February mercury remained 

 frozen for fifteen consecutive days ; a south-westerly gale, 

 lasting four days, then brought warmer weather ; imme- 

 diately the wind fell cold weather returned, and the 

 mercury remained frozen for a further period of fifteen 

 days. 



After the heavy snow-fall in the autumn previously 

 alluded to, very little fell, and much trouble was experi- 

 enced in obtaining sufficient for embanking the ship, it 

 being necessary to drag some from the shore for that 

 purpose. Owing to the small quantity which fell during 

 the winter, estimated at from 6 to 8 inches, the summits 

 of the coast hills were uncovered by the wind and re- 

 mained so until May and the early part of June, when we 

 again experienced a heavy snow-fall, estimated at a mean 

 thickness of i foot. In the valleys and on the shores having 

 an eastern aspect, the snow which fell remained light, 

 and, unless snow-shoes were used, caused very heavy 

 travelling. In the unprotected valleys and on the weather 

 coasts the snow was sufficiently compact to afibrd fair 

 travelling, much the same as that experienced in southern 

 latitudes, where the more variable winds harden the snow 

 everywhere. 



Light flashes of aurora were occasionally seen on 

 various bearings, but most commonly passing through 

 the zenith. None were of sufficient brilliancy to call for 

 notice. The phenomena may be said to have been insig- 

 nificant in the extreme, and, as far as we could discover, 

 were totally unconnected with any magnetic or electric 

 disturbance. 



During the winter Commander Albert H. Markham 

 and Lieut. George A. Giffard employed themselves with 

 much diligence and perseverance at the magnetic ob- 

 servatory, situated on shore, in a series of large and lofty 

 snow houses, which were connected together with a 

 covered snow gallery. Weekly observations were made 

 with Barrow's dip circle for determining the incHnation, 

 and by means of Lloyd's needles for the total (relative) 

 force. Occasionally these observations were repeated on 

 the same day. The absolute horizontal intensity was 

 obtained once every three weeks, and a series of hourly 

 differential observations were obtained with the portable 

 declination magnetometer on several consecutive days in 

 the months of December, January, and February. At 

 various places between Disco and the Alert's winter 

 quarters, whenever opportunities offered, observations for 

 inclination and total force were taken with Mr. Fox's 

 instrument, observations for determining the absolute 

 declination were also taken when opportunities occurred. 

 Lieut. Pelham Aldrich superintended the meteorological 

 observations, also observations with Sir C. Wheatstone's 

 polariscope, and Lieut. Alfred A. C. Parr, notwithstanding 

 the severe season, obtained a good series of astronomical 

 observations, also observations with the spectroscope and 

 Sir William Thomson's portable electrometer. 



I have not hitherto alluded to the services of Capt. 

 Feilden, Paymaster, R.A., Naturalist to the Expedition, 

 preferring that the report on the numerous scientific sub- 

 jects to which he has directed his attention should 

 emanate from himself ; I will merely state here that not 

 one moment has been lost by this indefatigable collector 

 and observer. He has, moreover, by his genial disposi- 

 tion and ready help on all occasions, won the friendship 

 of all, and I feel confident that their Lordships will highly 

 appreciate his valuable services. I am only doing him 

 justice when I state that he has been to this expedi- 

 tic n what Sabine was to that under the command of Sir 

 Edward Parry. 



Dr. Edward Moss, a highly skilled and talented ob- 

 server, in addition to his medical duties, kept himself fuUj 

 employed in many branches of natural science ; his in- 

 vestigations embraced studies of the floe- bergs and floes 



