OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 
137 
As the time was now near at hand when the sun was to re-appear above 1820. 
our horizon, we began this day to look out for it from the mast-head, in order 
that some observations might be made, as to the amount of the atmospherical 
refraction, which might render it visible to us sooner than under ordinary cir- 
cumstances. For this purpose, and at the same time to avoid the frost-bites 
which might have occurred from keeping any individual at the mast-head 
for too long a space, every man in the ship was sent up in succession, so as to 
occupy the time for ten minutes before and after noon ; and this practice was 
continued till the sun appeared above the horizon from the deck, which it did 
not do till nine days after the commencement of it. 
The loss of lemon-juice, of which I have before had occasion to speak, in 
consequence of the breaking of the bottles by frost, continued still to take-place 
to so great a degree, that it now became absolutely necessary to adopt some 
measures for providing against similar contingencies in future, and to pre- 
serve the remainder ; I, therefore, consulted Mr. Edwards as to the propriety 
of reducing the daily allowance of that essential article to three-quarters of 
the usual proportion, being three-quarters of an ounce per man : this, he was 
of opinion, under all circumstances, it was expedient to do, in order to ensure 
a supply in those cases of a scorbutic nature which might hereafter occur ; 
and this reduction was accordingly ordered in both ships. 
At half-past ten P.M., a complete halo of pale light was observed round the Wed. 26. 
moon, its radius being 22°.40, and a similar phenomenon occurred on the 
following night, about the same time. These phenomena almost always 
began to make their appearance about the time of full moon. 
The weather was remarkably clear and fine on the 28th, and the sky beau- 
tifully red to the southward ; but we looked for the sun from the mast-head 
without success. Captain Sabine remarked at noon, that none of the fixed stars, 
even of the first magnitude, could be seen by the naked eye ; Mars, however, 
was plainly visible, by which some judgment may be formed of the power of 
the sun’s light at this period. Towards the end of January we began to open 
some of our ports, in order to admit sufficient light for the carpenters and 
armourers to work by, and these were employed in repairing the main-top- 
sail-yard, that we might at least make some shew of commencing our re-equip- 
ment for sea. 
T 
