i9io] 
AN INCOMPARABLE SCENE 
25 
So sunlight and shadow have chased each other across 
our scene. To-night there is little or no swell — the ship 
is on an even keel, steady, save for the occasional shocks 
on striking ice. 
It is difficult to express the sense of relief this steadi- 
ness gives after our storm-tossed passage. One can only 
imagine the relief and comfort afforded to the ponies, but 
the dogs are visibly cheered and the human clement is 
full of gaiety. The voyage seems full of promise in spite 
of the imminence of delay. 
If the pack becomes thick I shall certainly put the fires 
out and wait for it to open. I do not think it ought to 
remain close for long in this meridian. To-night we must 
be beyond the 66th parallel. 
Saturday, December 10. — Dead Reckoning 66° 38'. 
Long. I78°47'. Made goodS. 17 W. 94. C. Crozier68S'. 
Stayed on deck till midnight. The sun just dipped below 
the southern horizon. The scene was incomparable. The 
northern sky was gloriously rosy and reflected in the calm 
sea between the ice, which varied from burnished copper 
to salmon pink ; bergs and pack to the north had a pale 
greenish hue with deep purple shadows, the sky shaded 
to saffron and pale green. We gazed long at these beauti- 
ful effects. The ship made through leads during the night ; 
morning found us pretty well at the end of the open 
water. We stopped to water ship from a nice hum- 
mocky floe. We made about 8 tons of water. Rennick 
took a sounding, i960 fathoms ; the tube brought up two 
small lumps of volcanic lava with the usual globigerina 
ooze. 
