ANTARCTIC CLIMATE. 35 
METEOROLOGICAL REMARKS BY W. S. BRUCE ON 
BOARD THE “BALZINA,” 1892-93. 
Weather —The meteorological observations of the expedition are 
more complete than any other set of observations, and for general 
(though perhaps more for local) conditions we have some interesting 
notes. 
Periods of calms and gales alternate in this part of the world. On 
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there was a perfect calm ; the sky, 
axcept at the horizon, had a dense canopy of cumulus rolls, which 
rested on the summits of the western hills, and when the sun was 
just below the horizon, the soft greys and blues of the clouds and the 
spotless whiteness of the ice, as it floated in the black and glassy sea, 
were tinted with the most delicate of colours—rich purples and rosy 
hues, blues, and greens passing into translucent yellows. This was a 
very typical calm day, but there were also calm days with cloudless 
skies and brilliant sunshine. Should a gale blow from a Southerly 
direction, it was usually accompanied by snow, and if from a Northerly 
direction, by wet fog, as shown below: 
Frpruary 8, 1893. 
Time. ee mons Weather. fais, 
1 | N.W.3 fey fate C Hate .. | thick wet fog 32°3 
8 | NN.E.4to5 1... 10 | overcast; thick very wet fog, and raw | 32°8 
10 | N.N.E, Sek Bh we ee 10 | overcast; foggy, raw, raining 31°9 
12 | Noby W.2.. 6 os 10 | overcast; thick fog; very wet sky 33°4 
16 | S.W.6to7.. .. .. 10 | overcast; misty round horizon 30°1 
20 |SS.W.10 .. 1... 10 | overcast; snow showers since 6 p.m. 29°6 
22 |) SSWedO se ae es 10 | overcast; snowing; coarse dirty night | 29°2 
On January 29, 30, 31, and February 1 we had a hard gale. It 
blew chiefly from the South, but backed and veered between South- 
south-west and South by East. At times on the 29th and 30th I have 
recorded wind of a force up to10. On the 29th I have noted that 
this was pronounced by all to be the heaviest of all since we made 
the ice; on the 30th the skipper told us that had we been in the open 
ocean, with our vessel in good trim, she would scarcely have borne 
close-reefed topsails. From 10 p.m.on the 29th till 8am. on the 
30th we steamed full speed against the wind, and only made about 
v2 
