i 9 ii] STORMS AND ACCLIMATISATION 3§9 
nothing but gilded drift clouds. Yet it is grand to have 
daylight rushing at one. 
Wednesday, August 23. — We toasted the sun in cham- 
pagne last night, coupling Victor Campbell's name as his 
birthday coincides. The return of the sun could not be 
appreciated as we have not had a glimpse of it, and the 
taste of the champagne went wholly unappreciated ; it 
was a very mild revel. Meanwhile the gale continues. 
Its full force broke last night with an average of nearly 
70 m.p.h. for some hours : the temperature has been up 
to + io° and the snowfall heavy. At seven this morning 
the air was thicker with whirling drift than it has ever 
been. 
It seems as though the violence of the storms which 
succeed our rare spells of fine weather is in proportion to 
the duration of the spells. 
Thursday, August 24. — Another night and day of furious 
wind and drift, and still no sign of the end. The tem- 
perature has been as high as + 16 0 . Now and again the 
snow ceases and then the drift rapidly diminishes, but 
such an interval is soon followed by fresh clouds of snow. 
It is quite warm outside, one can go about with head 
uncovered — which leads me to suppose that one does get 
hardened to cold to some extent — for I suppose one would 
not wish to remain uncovered in a storm in England if 
the temperature showed 16 degrees of frost. This is the 
third day of confinement to the hut : it grows tedious, 
but there is no help, as it is too thick to see more than 
a few yards out of doors. 
Friday, August 25. — The gale continued all night and 
