132 SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



1821. weather and considerable snow-drift. For several days about this period 



v^pv'ita/ the weather continued remarkably mild, the thermometer {Generally rising as 

 high as from 4-20° to +28° in the course of the day, from the Gth to the 

 IGth. Most of our necessary arrangements for the security of the ships and 

 stores during the winter being now completed, the people were employed in 

 what they called " rigging the theatre," and on the evening of the 9th the 

 officers performed the play of the " Rivals," to the infinite amusement of 

 both ships' companies. 



Sun. 11. At two P.M. on the 11th, it now being the time of spring-tides, we ob- 

 served a large crack in the ice near each of the ships, which on examination 

 was found to extend a considerable distance outside of them. As it appeared 

 very probable that a complete separation might take place, in which case the 

 ships would have been drifted out of the bay, several fresh hawsers were run 



Mon. 12. out a-hcad and attached to the grounded masses. On the following day, in 

 order to obtain all the security in our power, some anchors and a bower- 

 cable were run out and fixed on the beach. This precaution soon appeared 

 no more than necessary, as half an hour before midnight the ice astern set 

 outwards, leaving a little canal eight inches wide at the crack made the 

 preceding day. By this disruption the ships were disengaged in part from 

 the ice to which their sides were attached, and came a little astern ; but for- 

 tunately nothing occurred to cause farther apprehension. 



Tues. 13. On the 13th the Ilccla was secured to the shore in the same manner as the 

 Fury. Although the wind was from the south-east the day was beautifully 

 clear, which was the more striking as we had lately experienced a great 

 deal of overcast weather with northerly winds. About the time of sunset 

 this evening the sky presented a most brilliant appearance, the part next the 

 horizon for one or two degr<^cs being tinged of a bright red, above which 

 was a soft light blue, passing by an imperceptible gradation into a delicate 

 greenish hue. 



Wed. 14. It being desirable occasionally to register a thermometer at a distance from 

 the influence of the ships, in order to compare it with the indications of that 

 in common use on board, a post was set up on the ice, and two correspond- 

 ing spirit-thermometers * selected for that purpose. The difference observed 

 between them will be noticed hereafter. 



winter in these regions. Tlic kind of weather here alluded to is usually expressed in the Logs 

 and Meteorological Journals by the general term " hazy." 



* In making this selection, we found, on comparing ten thermometers, (of which three 



