200 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



depth of snow that had fallen at this period, I caused it to be accurately mea- 

 sured as it lay on the level surface of the ice in the bay in twenty-two dif- 

 ferent places, where there was no obstacle to create a drift. The mean 

 depth thus obtained was four inches and a half, which, however, when com- 

 pared with that on shore, even in parts the least likely to collect a drift, 

 appeared too small by half to be taken as a measure of the actual quantity 

 that had fallen. The fact seems to be that, while the irregularities of the 

 surface on shore prevent the possibility of judging of this with any great 

 accuracy, the smoothness and uniformity of the surface of the ice present 

 an equal difficulty, though in a contrary way ; a very moderate breeze being 

 sufficient during some months of the winter to carry it from the place where 

 it has fallen, unless it has time to consolidate itself before the coming on of 

 a breeze strong enough to disturb it. 



The appearance of the Aurora Borealis was less frequent during March 

 than in the preceding winter months, in consequence of the increased dura- 

 tion of daylight at this period. Whatever slight variations might exist in 

 these appearances, it still continued a matter of constant remark to us, that 

 the phenomenon almost invariably commenced in the south-eastern quarter 

 of the heavens ; and it is perhaps worthy of notice that the same thing was 

 observed by Crantz in Greenland*. The arch-like form assumed by the 

 Aurora was also one of its almost invariable peculiarities ; the legs of the 

 arch being usually situated somewhere between the east and west points of 

 the horizon, and almost always occupying the southern side of the heavens. 

 The only instance of this phenomenon during the month of March, deserving 

 particular description, occurred on the evening of the 30th, when it made its 

 appearance as usual in the south-eastern horizon, from whence it soon diffused 

 itself in a low but tolerably regular arch extending to the W.S.W. Again 

 at times it altogether vanished, and then as suddenly re-appeared much in 

 the same situation as before. We often fancied that this phenomenon exhi- 

 bited a light of greater actual intensity when the moon was above the hori- 

 zon than at other times, though its appearance was of course less splendid 

 on that account. Whether this was in reality the case or not, we had no 

 means of correctly judging ; but some idea of its brightness may be formed 

 from the circumstance of its being often very distinctly visible when the 



* See Crantz, i. 48, whose very words would truly describe what we so frequently noticed 

 during this winter. 



