206 MAGNETIC OBSERVATORY BUILT. Chap. XI. 



trap ; hitherto these most active little skir- 

 mishers have successfully robbed our fox-traps 

 of their baits as fast as they could be renewed. 

 To-day Petersen shot another reindeer; it 

 weighs 130 lbs. ; many others were seen, also 

 a wolf. Sometimes a few ptarmigan are met 

 with, but hares very rarely. 



\2th. — Fine weather generally prevails. We 

 have landed about 100 casks, all our boats, and 

 much lumber, so we shall have abundance of 

 room on board. I enjoyed a long and exhila- 

 rating ramble upon snow-shoes to-day ; without 

 them I could not have gone over half the dis- 

 tance — the snow lies so deep and soft — but I 

 only saw one reindeer. 



lAth. — One of our magnetic observatories has 

 been built ; it stands upon the ice, 210 yards S. 

 (magnetic) from the ship, and is built of ice 

 sawed into blocks — there not being any suitable 

 snow ; it is just large enough to hold the de- 

 clinometer for hourly observations, to be noted 

 throughout the winter. The housings have 

 been put over the ship already, as Hobson will 

 leave us again in a few days to advance his 

 depot and my own to the vicinity of the mag- 

 netic pole if possible. I would also send Young 

 upon a similar duty, but the western sea cannot 

 have frozen over yet. 



