28 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



They received little pay beyond their food, which consisted 

 chiefly of the scraps left from the meals. 



Dr. Faribault had shown signs of mild 'insanity, almost from 

 the time of leaving Halifax. On the 1st of November he 

 became violently insane, when, on the advice of Dr. Borden, 

 he was placed in charge of the police as a dangerous lunatic. 

 The poor man had to be confined in a cell, and watched con- 

 tinuously. His condition became worse and worse, until he 

 was happily released by death on the 27th of April following. 



As soon as the ice became sufficiently thick to bear the load, 

 a wall of snow about three feet thick was erected around the 

 ship, and raised to the top of the temporary decking. Sails, 

 spread on the roof, were covered with about a foot of snow. By 

 these means all draughts were effectually kept out of the ship, 

 and the temperature of the interior was raised several degrees. 

 Holes were cut in the banking to allow light to enter the ports 

 and windows, and snow porches were erected over the exits on 

 each side; the deep holes at the ports resembled embrasures, 

 and the general appearance of the ship was that of a floating 

 fort. 



When the labour for preparing for the winter was finished, 

 the ordinary work about the ship was hardly enough to keep the 

 crew in health, and all were encouraged to hunt or attend lines 

 of fox-traps for exercise. This proved much better than formal 

 exercise at stated times, and the general health remained good 

 throughout this long period of enforced idleness. 



Only two meals were cooked daily during the short days of 

 mid-winter, breakfast being at ten and dinner at four, an in- 

 formal supper being provided in the evening. 



Games and cards were provided for the use of all; musical 

 instruments, including a piano, were in frequent use, while a 

 weekly lecture, dance and newspaper went far to agreeably 

 pass away the long winter evenings, which were further relieved 



