OF THE POLAR SEA. 



249 



below zero, and was observed more than 

 once, previous to the kindling of the fire in 

 the morning, to be as low as 40° below 

 zero. On two of these occasions the chro- 

 nometers 2149 and 2151, which during the 

 night lay under Mr. Hood's and Dr. Ri- 

 chardson's pillows, stopped while they were 

 dressing themselves. 



The rapid at the commencement of the 

 river remained open in the severest weather, 

 although it was somewhat contracted in 

 width. Its temperature was 32°, as was 

 the surface of the river opposite the house, 

 about a quarter of a mile lower down, tried 

 at a hole in the ice, through which water 

 was drawn for domestic purposes. The 

 river here was two fathoms and a half deep, 

 and the temperature at its bottom was at 

 least 42° above zero. This fact was ascer- 

 tained by a spirit thermometer ; in which, 

 probably from some irregularity in the 

 tube, a small portion of the coloured liquor 

 usually remained at 42° when the column 

 was made to descend rapidly. In the pre- 

 sent instance the thermometer standing at 



