492 FA R THE S 7^ NORTH 



there. The ice too is getting more and more permeated 

 with salt-water; if one bores ever so small a hole in it, 

 it is at once filled with water. The reason, of course, 

 is that, owing to the rise in the temperature, the parti- 

 cles of salt contained in the ice begin to melt their sur- 

 roundinos, and more and more water is formed with a 

 good admixture of salt in it, so that its freezing-point is 

 lower than the temperature of the ice around it. This, 

 too, had risen materially ; at about 4 feet depth it is only 

 25.2° Fahr. ( — 3.8" C), at 5 feet it is somewhat warmer 

 again, 26.5" Fahr. (—3.1 C). 



" Sunday, June loth. Oddly enough we have had no 

 cases of snow-blindness on board, w^ith the exception of 

 the doctor, who, a couple of days ago, after we had been 

 playing at ball, got a touch of it in the evening. The 

 tears poured from his eyes for some time, but he soon 

 recovered. Rather a humiliating trick of fate that he 

 should be the first to suffer from this ailment." Sub- 

 sequently we had a few isolated cases of slight snow- 

 blindness, so that one or two of our men had to go about 

 with dark spectacles ; but it was of little importance and 

 was due to their not thinking it worth while to take the 

 necessary precautions. 



"Monday, June iith. To-day I made a joyful dis- 

 covery. I thought I had begun my last bundle of cigars, 

 and calculated that by smoking one a day they would 

 last a month, but found quite unexpectedly a whole box 

 in my locker. Great rejoicing ! it will help to while 



