SECOND VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY. 383 



very distinct. On the 16th Mk. Ross and myself observed near the northern ,^^'^^\ 



... Novemb. 



horizon, and exactly opposite to the sun, a circular patch of faint white light ; ^^-r^ 



its size was many times larger than that of the sun, though it was not at all 

 defined about the edges, being indeed rather softened off into the purple 

 sky on which it rested. On the 22d the sun rose with a briglit spot of white 

 light at the distance of twenty to thirty degrees on each side of it, and a ver- 

 tical column of a red colour extended from the sun to about two degrees above 

 it. This last phenomenon is very common in cold weather and when the 

 sun's altitude is very small. A cross was observed about the moon on the 

 27th, consisting of vertical and horizontal rays of whitish light appearing to 

 pass through that object. 



At apparent noon, on the 2d of December, six days after the sun had in- Decemb. 

 dependently of the effects of refraction set to us for a period of more than ' 

 seven weeks, we caught a glimpse of its upper limb from the deck of 

 the Fury, about one-sixteenth of its whole disk being visible above the low 

 land to the southward. It is impossible not to acknowledge the benevolence 

 as well as to admire the wisdom of the law which, among all its varied and 

 wonderful effects displayed throughout the works of nature, contrives to 

 shorten, by nearly a whole fortnight, the annual absence of this cheering 

 luminary from the frozen regions of the earth, and thus contributes so essen- 

 tially to the welfare and enjoyment of their numerous inhabitants. 



On the 4th I drove out to the huts, accompanied by Mr. Hooper, princi- Wed. 4. 

 pally with the intention of bringing back one of my dogs that had strayed to 

 the village, and which Toolemak, his fonner master, had been employing in 

 his fishery for several days past, instead of bringing him honestly back ; a trick 

 which evidently shewed a disposition to try how far they could safely go in 

 this way, and of which therefore it was as well to take some notice in good time. 

 Including the late addition of our Winter Island acquaintance, the number of 

 separate huts now amounted to fifteen or sixteen, which, together with the 

 usual appurtenances, such as canoes, sledges, and several smaller store- 

 houses, occupying perhaps a quarter of an acre of ground, constituted a vil- 

 lage of no mean nor uninteresting appearance. We found very few men at 

 the huts, the greater part being absent in quest of walruses ; and after passing 

 an hour or two in several of the apartments, and making a number of presents 

 to the women, we were under the necessity of coming away without perform- 

 ing our principal errand, as neither Toolemak nor my dog made their ap- 

 pearance. I took care, however, publicly to proclaim Toolemak as atigliktoke 



