152 SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



1822. i 10Use (i • and the rest which were thriving better made their escape to the 



January. 



s-^v^ shore. 



We had hitherto found the thermometer on board stand from two to five 

 degrees higher than that on the ice, owing to the warm atmosphere created 



Sat. 5. by the fires. On the 5th at noon, however, the difference amounted to 9°, 

 that on board standing at — 22°, when the other indicated a temperature of 

 — 31°. We did not know to what cause to attribute this, but two or three 

 degrees may fairly be deducted on this account from the mean temperatures 

 given in the Meteorological Abstract throughout the winter. 



Some port-wine, which was stowed in bins in the slop-room, having a 

 week or two before been found partially frozen, a further examination took 



Sat. 12. place on the 12th, when two or three bottles were found broken, and the 

 wine entirely frozen in thin laminae not unlike the plates of white mica, 

 and from one-eighth to two-eighths of an inch in thickness. White wine was 

 frozen into one mass, retaining its colour and translucency, and assuming 

 the appearance of very clear amber. The circumstance of our never having 

 met with so much loss in this way, in the course of a much more severe 

 winter at Melville Island, induced us to examine into the cause ; when we 

 found it arose from a different stowage of the wine, which in the present 

 instance had been allowed to come in contact with the ship's side, but had 

 before been a foot or two removed from it. 



Sun. 13. On the 13th we were no less surprised than gratified to see almost as 

 much open water to the south-east and north-east of the island, as we had 

 ever yet observed. It was covered indeed with a very thin coating of 

 young ice, but a cloud of frost-smoke rose freely from it, which is never 

 the case many hours after its formation. A floe of young ice, on which 

 some of the officers had walked a day or two before to a considerable dis- 

 tance from the shore, having now disappeared, I considered it prudent to 

 direct, in addition to the general precautionary orders, that no person 

 should in future venture outside of the grounded masses in the bay. 



Mon. 14, An ermine, of which the tracks had been traced the preceding day up 

 the Hecla's stern, and even on board her, Captain Lyon to-day succeeded 

 in catching in a trap. This beautiful creature was entirely white, ex- 

 cept a black brush to its tail, and a slight tinge of- the usual sulphur or 

 straw colour on the root of the tail, and also on the fore part of the fore- 

 legs. The little animal being put into a convenient cage seemed soon to 

 feel himself perfectly at home, eating, drinking, and sleeping without any 



