THE WINTER NIGHT 4^5 



tains and valleys, where we can sit under the mountain 

 wall, roast ourselves in the sun, and see the spring come. 

 And over its inland ice we can make our way to the very 

 Pole. 



"Sunday, March nth. A snow-shoe run northward. 

 Temperature —50° C. (58° Fahr. below zero), and 10 feet 

 wind from N.N.E. We did not feel the cold very much, 

 though it was rather bad for the stomach and thighs, as 

 none of us had our wind trousers* on. We wore our usu- 

 al dress of a pair of ordinary trousers and woollen pants, 

 a shirt, and wolfskin cloak, or a common woollen suit 

 with a light sealskin jacket over it. For the first time in 

 my life I felt my thighs frozen, especially just over the 

 knee, and on the kneecap ; my companions also suffered 

 in the same way. This was after going a long while 

 against the wind. We rubbed our legs a little, and they 

 soon got warm again; but had we kept on much longer 

 without noticing it we should probably have been se- 

 verely frost-bitten. In other respects we did not suffer 

 the least inconvenience from the cold -on the contrary, 

 found the temperature agreeable ; and I am convinced 

 that 10°, 20°, or even 30° lower would not have been 

 unendurable. It is strange how one's sensations alter. 

 When at home, I find it unpleasant if I only go out-of- 

 doors when there are some 20 degrees of cold, even in 

 calm weather. But here I don't find it any colder when 



* So we called some light trousers of thin close cotton, which we used 

 as a protection against the wind and snow. 



