174 
THE TEMPERATURE. 
finitude of useless saucepans, insists on monopolizing 
the stove. 
“March 15, Wednesday.—The mean temperature of 
the last five days has been, 
March 10.—46°.03 
11 .—45°.60 
12 .—46°.64 
13 .—46°.56 
14 . —4G°.65 
giving an average of —40° 30', with a variation be¬ 
tween the extremes of less than three-quarters of a 
degree. 
“ These records are remai’kahle. The coldest month 
of the Polar year has heretofore been February; but 
we are evidently about to experience for Mai'ch a 
mean temperature not only the lowest of our own 
series, but lower than that of any other recorded 
observations. 
“This anomalous temperatui’e seems to disprove the 
idea of a diminished cold as we approach the Pole. 
It will extend the isotherm of the solstitial month 
higher than ever before projected. 
“The mean temperature of Parry for March (in lat. 
74° 30') was —29°; our own will be at least 41° 
below zero. 
“At such temperatures, the ice or snow covering 
offers a great resistance to the sledge-runners. I have 
noticed this in training my dogs. The dry snow in its 
finely-divided state resembles sand, and the runners 
