Notice of Captain Parry's Voyage of Discovery, 151 
of wine thermometer was 50° below zero ; and in February, 
the coldest month of these regions, the spirit of wine ther- 
mometer pointed to the 54° and 55° below zero; and we 
have been told that the mean temperature for twelve months, 
was found to be about 1|° to 2° below zero. During these 
intense colds, the crews felt but little inconvenience, so long 
as they remained under the housing of the ships; but when 
the atmosphere was agitated by gales of wind, then the cold 
became tremendous, and every one was forced to seek shelter 
below. Scarcely any accident occurred from exposure to 
cold ; while the constant and regular exercise, which formed a 
necessary part of the duty of the crews, kept every one lively, 
active, and free from disease. One death only took place during 
the expedition^ and that was in the case of an individual who had 
contracted the disease of which he died before he left England. 
When the sun had its greatest southern declination, a light 
was still perceptible at noon in the southern horizon, affording suf- 
ficient light to read a book with difficulty. The day was like 
the fine clear evening of winter in our climate. The stars 
shone with great brilliancy, ^nd when the moon appeared in 
the firmament, she shone with uncommon splendour. The po- 
lar lights frequently made their appearance, and were generally 
of a yellowish-grey colour, sometimes green, but rarely red, 
and most commonly situated in the south-west. Their lustre 
was not particularly striking, no noise was heard to proceed 
from them, and the magnetic needle did not appear to be affect- 
ed by their presence. 
The sun reappeared op the Sd of February, after an ab- 
sence of eighty-three days, and his first rays were hailed from 
the mast-head. In April, ^^some partial symptoms of thaw ap- 
peared. By the end of May regular thaw commenced. Near- 
ly about this time. Captain Parry, with a party of his officers 
and men, crossed Melville Island, and reached the sea on the 
opposite side, in Liddon’s Gulph, in Latitude 75° N. Hero 
they discovered several other islands, one of which was named 
Sabine Island, in honour of Captain Sabine, one of the officers 
of the Expedition : They were fourteen days absent, during 
which time many interesting observations were made, and nume- 
rous specimens, illustrative of the natural history of the island^ 
