SNOW-BLINDNESS. 529 



siderable tract of coast previously unknown — the east coast of Prince of Wales 

 Land — and after having been absent on the ice for forty-five days, succeeded 

 in returning in safety to the ships, though he was unsuccessful in discovering 

 anything to indicate that he had been upon the track of Franklin. Mean- 

 while the larger party of the southern division, under Ommanney and 

 Osborn, pushed on on a south-west course along the north shore of Eussell 

 Island, of which Cape Walker is the north-east point, until, on the 30th 

 April, they reached a deep inlet, which Mecham discovered was a strait 

 separating Russell Island from Prince of Wales Land. Ommanney then 

 travelled over the western outlet of this strait, and pursued his way over the 

 ice of the west coast of Prince of Wales Land. "Every mile that we 

 advanced," says Osborn, " showed us that the coast was one that could only 

 be approachable by ships at extraordinary seasons. The ice appeared the 

 accumulation of many years, and bore, for some forty miles, a quiet, undis- 

 turbed look. Then we passed into a region with still more aged features. 

 There the inequalities on the surface, occasioned by the repeated snows of 

 winters and thaws of summers, gave it the appearance of hill and dale. . . . 

 To avoid this description of ice, amongst which a lengthened journey became 

 perfectly hopeless, we struck in for the land, preferring the heavy snow which 

 then encumbered the beach to such a heart-breaking struggle as that on the 

 floe. Irreparable injury had however been done to our crews during our last 

 day's labour amongst the hummocks. A fine clear evening had given us 

 the full effects of a powerful sunlight upon the pure virgin snow. . . . 

 All was white, brilliant, and dazzling ; the eye in vain turned from earth 

 to heaven for rest or shade — there was none. An unclouded sunlight 

 poured through the calm and frosty air with merciless power, and the 

 sun being exactly in our faces, increased the intensity of its effects." 

 The natural and inevitable result accrued. Out of the whole party of 

 thirty, sixteen men and one officer were, on the 1st May — two days after 

 they had reached the shore — struck with snow-blindness, and rendered 

 all but helpless. This disease has its origin in the continued irritation 

 of the eye, caused by the glare of the sun, and the reflection of that 

 glare — ^blazing as from a mirror — ^from the surface of the snow. It com- 

 mences with a dull aching sensation in the eyeball, as if from the effect of 

 overstraining. On the second day blindness rapidly sets in. " From experi- 

 ence," says Osborn, " I can speak of the mental anxiety which must have 

 supervened at the thought of one's entire helplessness, and the encumber- 

 ance one had become to others, who, God knows, had troubles and labour 

 enough of their own." Gradually the film spreads, objects become 

 dimmer and dimmer, until at last all is darkness, with an intense horror 

 of the slightest ray of sunlight. The effects, however, of this species of 

 ophthalmia, are not lasting, and with rest, seclusion from light, and the 

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