118 Foul Weather. 



been kindly presented to us at Lievely by Mrs. 

 Smith, the Inspector's wife. 



Wednesday, June Wth. — When Jack, that most 

 obliging and willing of stewards, called me this 

 morning he imparted the not very pleasing infor- 

 mation, that it was " blowing a gale of wind, snow- 

 ing hard, and freezing like mad/' With such in- 

 telligence it required no small amount of submission 

 and fortitude to abandon my snug warm little bunk 

 and perform the necessary morning ablutions. My 

 toilet completed and chronometer wound up, I pro- 

 ceeded on deck, and found things not so bad as 

 I anticipated from the steward's report. It was 

 blowing fresh from the S. E., and the ship was car- 

 rying reefed topsails and foresail, though the water, 

 on account of the ice, which was scattered about in 

 loose straggling streams and detached floes, was 

 as smooth as the Thames off Westminster on a 

 boisterous day. Snow and sleet were falling fast, 

 but the temperature was only 6° below the freezing 

 point. On the whole, perhaps, the day had not a 

 very inviting or promising appearance. 



We are fairly on our fishing ground, and every 

 one is on the qui vive : boats are lowered square 

 with the gunwale, oars counted, thole pins and 

 grummets inspected, and the harpoons and lances, 

 on which a thick coating of rust has lately been 

 allowed to accumulate, cleaned and sharpened. 



Midnight. — I am now writing amidst a perfect 



