EXTREME DARKNESS. 173 



most depressing. Even our dogs, although the 

 greater number of them were natives of the arctic 

 circle, were unable to withstand it. Most of them 

 died from an anomalous form of disease, to which, 

 I am satisfied, the absence of light contributed as 

 much as extreme cold." Quoting from his jour- 

 nal he says : "I am so afflicted with the insomnia 

 of this eternal night, that I rise at any time between 

 midnight and noon. I went on deck this morning 

 at five o'clock. It was absolutely dark; the cold 

 not permitting a swinging lamp, there was not a 

 glimmer came to me through the ice-crusted window- 

 panes of the cabin. While I was feeling my way, 

 half puzzled as to the best method of steering clear 

 of whatever might be before me, two of my New- 

 foundland dogs put their cold noses against my 

 hand, and instantly commenced the most exuberant 

 antics of satisfaction. It then occurred to me how 

 very dreary and forlorn must these poor animals be, 

 at atmospheres 10 above zero in-doors and 50 be- 

 low zero without living in darkness, howling at an 

 accidental light, as if it reminded them of the moon 

 and with nothing, either of instinct or sensation, 

 to tell them of the passing hours, or to explain the 

 long lost daylight. They shall see the lantern more 

 frequently." 



Yet this state of midnight darkness is not alto- 

 gether unmitigated. There are a few ameliorating 

 influences at work, the nature of some of which we 

 will treat of in the next chapter. Among others, 



