SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 209 



to read and write with tolerable correctness. 

 Sunday was a day of rest ; and, with the 

 exception of two or three of the Canadians, 

 the whole party uniformly attended Divine 

 service, morning and evening. If, on the 

 other evenings for which no particular oc- 

 cupation was appointed, the men felt the 

 time tedious, or if they expressed a wish to 

 vary their employments, the hall was at 

 their service, to play any game they might 

 choose ; and on these occasions they were 

 invariably joined by the officers. By thus 

 participating in their amusements, the men 

 became more attached to us, at the same 

 time that we contributed to their health and 

 cheerfulness. The hearts and feelings of 

 the whole party were united in one common 

 desire to make the time pass as agreeably 

 as possible to each other, until the return 

 of spring should enable them to resume the 

 great object of the expedition." 



Every thing seems to have gone on pretty 

 well till the end of the year, but, owing to 

 the extreme severity of the weather in the 

 months of January and February, the sources 



VOL. IV. p 



