150 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



CHAPTER VII. 



MANY FOXES CAUGHT CONTINUED OPEN WATER IN THE OFFING PARTIAL DISRUP- 

 TION OF THE ICE IN THE BAY' — METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA AND TEMPERATURE 

 OF ANIMALS ARRIVAL OF A TRIBE OF ESQUIMAUX— FIRST MEETING AND SUBSE- 

 QUENT INTERCOURSE WITH THEM ESQUIMAUX IN WANT OF PROVISIONS — SUPPLIED 



WITH BREAD-DUST — SOME ACCOUNT OF A SEALING EXCURSION WITH THEM FRESH 



DISRUPTION OF THE ICE IN THE BAY CLOSING OF THE WINTER THEATRE ME- 

 TEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA TILL THE END OF FEBRUARY 1822. 



1822. The first day of the new year was a very severe one in the open air, the 

 January. ^ ermoine ^ ei . De i n g down to — 22°, and the wind blowing strong from the 

 Tues. 1. northwest. The effect of a breeze upon the feelings is well known to every 

 person, even in comparatively temperate climates, but at low temperatures 

 it becomes painful and almost insupportable. Thus, with the thermometer 

 at — 55°, and no wind stirring, the hands may remain uncovered for ten 

 minutes or a quarter of an hour without inconvenience ; while with a fresh 

 breeze and the thermometer nearly as high as zero, few people can keep 

 them exposed so long without considerable pain. A high wind also had 

 great effect in occasioning a general decrease of temperature in most parts 

 of the ships, not by its gaining admission into the inhabited apartments, but 

 by favouring the rapid abstraction of heat from without. 

 Wed. 2. About noon on the 2d, Captain Lyon observed a considerable body of 

 snow taken up by the wind and whirled round in a spiral form like that of 

 a water-spout, though with us the breeze was qnite light at the time. It 

 increased gradually in size till lost behind the south-east point. As a proof 

 of the difficulty which the hares must find in obtaining subsistence during 

 the winter, these animals were at this time in the habit of coming alongside 

 the ships upon the ice to pick up what they could from our rubbish heaps. 

 A fox or two still entered the traps occasionally, and our gentlemen in- 

 formed me that they had always been most successful in catching them after 



