222 EARLY SPEING SLEDGE-PARTIES. Chap. XU. 



space in Bellot Strait, where rests a densely 

 black mist, very strongly resembling the West 

 Indian rain-squall as it looms upon the distant 

 horizon. The increasing sunlight is cheering, 

 but void of heat, and the mercury is often 

 frozen. A few more ptarmigan have been 

 shot. 



Our remaining serviceable dogs, twenty-two 

 in number, have been divided with great care 

 into three teams of seven each ; the odd dog is 

 added to my team, as my journey is expected to 

 be the longest. The different sledge-parties will 

 now feed up their dogs without limit, so that 

 the utmost degree of work may be got out of 

 them hereafter. 



January has been sHghtly colder than De- 

 cember, mean temperature being — 33^°, but 

 there has been rather less wind. 



8th. — All will be ready for the departure of 

 Young and myself upon our respective journeys 

 upon the morning of the 14th. 



Mr. Petersen and Alexander Thompson ac- 

 company me, with two dog-sledges, and fifteen 

 dogs, dragging twenty-four days' provisions. 

 My object is to communicate with the Boothians 

 in the vicinity of the magnetic pole. Young 

 takes his party of four men and his dog-sledge ; 

 he will carry forward provisions for his sj)ring 



