184 
I,A.ST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
The new year broke upon them with extraordinary mildness, 
which enabled the officers to pursue their amusements on land, 
and to give the crew that exercise, which their health demanded. 
On new year’s day an extra allowance of grog with preserved 
meats was served out to the crew, and in the evening they made 
themselves merry with singing and dancing. Perhaps no set of 
men had ever greater reason to drink with real glee, the old year 
out and the new one in, than the crew of the Victory; although 
no bells sounded at the midnight hour, announcing the commence¬ 
ment of the new year and the departure of the old one, with all 
its troubles, trials, and difficulties on its back; although the 
wassail bowl circulated not round their table, and many a light¬ 
some heart was called upon to rejoice that another year of its 
life was gone ; although love mingled itself not in their cups, 
yet they filled their glass to those who were far away, and who 
were perhaps at that same moment, drinking the health of those 
who in their solitary ship, were strangers to the festivities of 
the season, and whose mirth was like the beam of the sun that 
illumined them, faint and cheerless. Nevertheless it was to 
them a source of rejoicing that the new year was begun, which 
according to their sanguine expectations, was either to see them 
at the object of which they were in search; or to return them to 
their native land. 
On the 2nd the weather was very thick, with a keen piercing 
wind from the south east, and not being able to perform any 
manual operations exterior to the ship, the crew took the oppor¬ 
tunity of cleaning out the tanks, from which they took four 
bushels of snow. On the following day, the weather assumed an 
extraordinary mildness, the thermometer having risen twenty- 
three degrees; all the officers went on shore on a shooting excur¬ 
sion, and the surgeon shortly afterwards returned for a hook, the 
party having shot a hare, which got under a rock beyond their 
reach. It was not without some difficulty that the animal was 
secured ; on weighing it on board, it was found to be Tibs 3|oz. 
A measurement of the young ice was taken this day, and it was 
ascertained to be five feet four inches thick. 
The 6th was employed in hauling the long brass gun belonging 
to the Fury, to the top of a hill for the purpose of firing it occa- 
