116 
VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 
N 181 , 9 b seen ’ ^.N.W. anc ^ S.E. quarters, some light transparent clouds, 
y^r«y from which columns of light were thrown upwards, resembling the Aurora 
Borealis ; those to the S.E., being opposed to a very light sky, had a light-brown 
Tues. 16. appearance. This phenomenon was again observed on the 16th, consisting of 
a bright stationary light from S.S.W. to S. b. E., and reaching from the horizon 
to the height of about 6° above it. 
About the time of the sun’s leaving us, the wolves began to approach the 
ships more boldly, howling most piteously on the beach near us, sometimes 
for hours together, and, on one or two occasions, coming alongside the ships, 
when every thing was quiet at night ; but we seldom saw more than one 
or two together, and, therefore, could form no idea of their number. 
These animals were always very shy of coming near our people, and, though 
evidently suffering much from hunger, never attempted to attack any of them. 
The white foxes used also to visit the ships at night, and one of these ( Canis 
Lagopus ) was caught in a trap, set under the Griper’s bows. The uneasiness 
displayed by this beautiful little animal during the time of his confinement, 
whenever he heard the howling of a wolf near the ships, impressed us with an 
opinion, that the latter is in the habit of hunting the fox as his prey. 
Wed. 17. The rapidity with which the ice formed round the ships had now become so 
great, as to employ our people for several hours each day in cutting it ; and 
for the last three days our utmost labour, during the time of twilight, could 
scarcely keep it clear. As it was evident, therefore, that, as the frost in- 
creased, we could not possibly effect this, and as the men almost always got 
their feet wet in sawing the ice, from which the most injurious effects upon 
their health were likely to result, I gave orders to leave off cutting it any 
more during the severity of the winter. The average formation of ice round 
the ships, during the time we continued to remove it, was usually from three to 
five inches in twenty-four hours ; and once it froze eight inches in twenty-six 
hours, the mean temperature of the atmosphere being— 12°. At noon to-day 
we saw, for the first time at this hour, a star of the first magnitude ( Capella ), and 
at half an hour past noon, those of the second magnitude in Ursa Major were 
visible; which circumstance will, perhaps, give the best idea of the weakness of 
the sun’s light at this period. At three P.M. a remarkable variety of the Aurora 
Borealis was seen by several of the officers. Having about this time been 
confined for a few days to my cabin by indisposition, I am indebted to Lieu- 
tenant Beechey for the following description of it: — “Clouds of a light- 
brown colour were seen, diverging from a point near the horizon bearing 
