Nov. 1857. FEEEZING OF SALT WATEK, 71 



Dr. Walker is occupied in making every pos- 

 sible experiment upon tlie freezing of salt water ; 

 the first crop of ice is salt, the second less so, 

 the third produces drinkable water, and the 

 fourth is fresh. Frosty eiHorescence appears 

 upon ice formed at low temperatures in calm 

 weather — it is brine expressed by the act of 

 freezing. We need not wonder that dogs, when 

 driven hard over this ice, which soon cuts their 

 feet, suffer intense pain, and often fall down in 

 fits ; nor that snow, falling upon young (sea) 

 ice, wholly or partially thaws, even when the 

 temperature is but little above zero ; when near 

 the freezing-point the young ice thus coated 

 over becomes sludgy and unsafe. 



2Wi. — Keen, biting, N.W. winds. No cracks 

 in the ice, therefore no seals. Grey dawn at 

 ten o'clock, and dark at two. The moon is 

 everywhere the sailor's friend, she is a source of 

 comfort to us here. Nothing to excite conver- 

 sation, except an occasional inroad of the dogs 

 in search of food ; this generally occurs at 

 night. Whenever the deck-light which burns 

 under the housing happens to go out, they scale 

 the steep snow banking, and rush round the 

 deck like wolves. " Why, bless you. Sir, the 

 wery moment that there light goes out, and the 

 quartermaster turns his back, they makes a 



