THE WINTER NIGHT 387 



50' north latitude, and 133'' 23' east longitude. This 

 fall-off to the southeast again was not more than I had 

 expected, as it has been almost calm since Sunday. I 

 explain the thing to myself thus : When the ice has 

 been set adrift in a certain direction by the wind blow- 

 ing that way for some time it gradually in process of 

 drifting becomes more compressed, and when that wind 

 dies away a reaction in the opposite direction takes 

 place. Such a reaction must, I believe, have been the 

 cause of Saturday s pressure, which stopped entirely as 

 suddenly as it began. Since then there has not been 

 the slightest appearance of movement in the ice. Prob- 

 ably the pressure indicates the time when the drift 

 turned. A light breeze has sprung up this afternoon 

 from S.E. and E.S.E., increasing gradually to almost 

 ' mill wind.' We are going north again ; surely we shall 

 get the better of the 80th degree this time. 



" Wednesday, January 31st. The wind is whistling 

 among the hummocks ; the snow flies rustling through 

 the air ; ice and sky are melted into one. It is dark ; our 

 skins are smarting with the cold ; but we are going north 

 at full speed, and are in the wildest of gay spirits. 



" Thursday, February ist. The same sort of weather 

 as yesterday, except that it has turned quite mild — 7^° 

 Fahr. below zero ( — 22'' C), The snow is falling exactly 

 as it does in winter weather at home. The wind is more 

 southerly, S.S.E. now, and rather lighter. It may be 

 taken for granted that we have passed the Soth degree, 



