

CHRISTMAS IX THE AECTIC REGIONS. 103 



Arctic travelling, caused by the wet soft snow, weak ice, and water spaces, which obliged 

 the sledges to be dragged over the hills, combined with constant strong winds and misty 

 weather, were, if anything, much greater than those usually experienced. Out of the 

 northern party of twenty-one men and three officers, no less than seven men and one 

 officer returned to the ship badly frost-bitten, three of these so severely as to render 

 amputation necessary, the patients being confined to their beds for the greater part of 

 the winter. 



During the winter Captain Nares, assisted by his officers, did his very best to keep the 

 crew not merely employed, but amused. A school was organised; and Captain Markham 

 states, to the credit of the Royal Navy, that out of fifty-five men on the Alert there were 

 only two who could not read when they came on board. On both vessels there were small 

 printing presses, which were used specially for printing the programmes of their entertain- 

 ments, and occasionally even for striking off bills of fare. Each Thursday* was devoted 

 to lectures, concerts, readings, and occasional theatrical performances. Oil the opening 

 night if any such distinction, could be made when all was night the programme 

 commenced as follows : " The Royal Arctic Theatre will be re-opened on Thursday next, 

 the 18th inst. (18th November), by the powerful Dramatic Company of the Hyperboreans, 

 under the distinguished patronage of Captain Nares, the Members of the Arctic Exploring 

 Expedition, and all the Nobility and Gentry of the neighbourhood." 



Meantime, on the Discovery something very similar was occurring. As soon as the ice 

 would bear it, they commenced erecting houses, including a magnificent observatory, an 

 ice theatre, and a smithy. The theatre was opened on December 1st. It was the plan 

 for plays to be produced by officers and men alternately. The entertainments were varied 

 by songs and recitations, not a few of these being original. On November 5th they 

 had a bonfire on the ice, and burned the " Guy/' according to the usual custom, with 

 rockets and blue lights. 



The Rev. Charles Hodson, chaplain of the vessel, says : " As soon as the ice was 

 sufficiently firm, a walk of a mile in length was constructed by shovelling away the snow. 

 This place was generally used as an exercise ground during the winter. We also con- 

 structed a skating-rink there. A free hole in the ice was always kept near the ship. From 

 time to time this gradually closed up, and it then had to be sawn with ice saws or 

 -else blasted with gunpowder. The dogs lived on the open floe all the winter. The changes 

 in the temperature are very rapid, and I have known the variation to be as great as GO 

 in a few hours. The coldest weather we had was in March, when one night the glass 

 showed 70 below zero. 



" And now a few words as to the manner in which we kept Christmas. First of 

 all, in the morning we had Christmas Waits in the usual manner. A sergeant of marines, 

 the chief boatswain's mate, and three others, went round the ship singing Christmas 

 carols suited to the occasion, and made a special stay outside the captain's cabin. On 

 the lower deck in the forenoon there were prayers, and after that captain and officers 

 visited the mess in the lower deck, tasted the pudding, inspected the decorations which 



* The entertainments were, we are informed by Captain Markham, termed the Thursday " Pops/' and popular 

 they most undoubtedly were. 



