HO PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



in-doors, as an anchor : even then it was almost impossible for him to keep his position. 

 Temperature, 31. 



January 23. The wind raged all night. The house rocked fearfully; but as we 

 had no fear of a wreck, it did not disturb us much. Sometimes it would seem as if 

 things were going by the board, but an inspection showed everything all right. It is 

 a sublime affair, such a gale, only we do not care to have it repeated too often. 

 Nobody was hurt or scared, though there was not much sleep for our party, with such 

 an uproar of the elements. Evidently the spirits of the mountain are angry at this 

 invasion of their domain. Toward morning the wind ceased, and all day it has been 

 nearly calm. The temperature outside, 43. Mr. Huntington and myself sat up 

 all night to keep fires going. 



January 31. The most glorious sunrise this winter. To the east was a sea of 

 clouds, somewhat broken, and much lower than usual. The protruding peaks resem- 

 bled islands more than ever before. Over northern New Hampshire and Maine, and 

 along the coast, the clouds were very dense, but their upper surface, as the sun shone 

 across them, was of dazzling brightness, while singular forms of cirrus clouds overcast 

 the sky. Low in the west it was intensely black, and detached masses of clouds 

 floated along the northern horizon. For an hour after sunrise all these cloud forms 

 were constantly changing in color, purple and crimson, leaden hues and rose tints, 

 almost black and dazzling white. 



February 2, 10 p. M. All day the wind has been light, and it was nearly calm this 

 evening till half an hour since, when, without any warning, the gale began, not with 

 a rising wind, but a sudden blast that shook the house to its foundations. I said that 

 we had no warning of its approach : we had notice of it in the falling of the barometer. 

 A moment before the first blast, some one called attention to the quiet night, remarking 

 that the storm would not probably reach us before morning, when the conversation 

 was suddenly interrupted by the uproar of the elements. 



February 3. We get to-day the most severe snow storm of the winter so far. The wind 

 is north-west, the point from which our storms and hurricanes come. At no time has 

 the temperature been higher than 5 ; it was 25 this morning at 7 o'clock. Smith 

 and myself are yet on the sick list, so all the hard work falls to Mr. Huntington. To 

 add to the discomfort of our situation, the line failed last night, just after Smith got off 

 the press despatch. Cold as it is, and has been all day, Mr. Huntington made six trips 

 down the railway repairing line. His method was to find and repair a break, then run 

 for the house, get thoroughly warmed and rested, and then out for another attempt. 

 The last time he went to the Gulf: below there he did not dare go. So, as there is at 

 least one more splice to make, far as any good for to-night telegraphing goes, his 

 labors were of no avail. 



February 4 9 p. M. The wind, rising toward morning, has held its own all day, at 

 no time being below seventy-five, and, since 8 130, acts as though it were ambitious to 

 attain the ninety-mile standard. This has been so cold a day that we found Dr. Kane's 

 voyages most suitable reading. At 7 A. M., 33, and it has gradually worked down to 



