ARCTIC VOYAGES. 
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dishes of various sorts. Ham and pork, and beef soup, with apples, 
gooseberry juice, and jam-tarts, with a superabundance of currant cake, 
nuts, and cheese; the cook dressed in his white, whilst each of the 
messes had a steward arrayed to do honour to the occasion. ‘ A happy 
Christmas’ and ‘ Lady Franklin’ were proposed, and received with a 
sailor’s good will; then the men sat down to dinner, pleased with them¬ 
selves and everybody else; it was a cheering sight in the Arctic, and 
spoke volumes for the materiel , morale ,- and personnel , of the ship’s com¬ 
pany. They had an abundance of everything to make them comfortable 
and cheerful, whilst on each of the messes were placed photographs of 
absent ones, propped up by bonbons; so that, while enjoying themselves* 
others were not forgotten. The moon had risen about 11 a. m., having 
a long pencil of golden rays shooting vertically through her; she has 
remained ever since. Our own table was covered with all the delicacies 
of the season. Lady Franklin and absent ones were remembered in 
champagne. My ideas of an Arctic Christmas had fallen far short of 
this reality. "We all were sorry at our inactive position at present, but 
look forward with pleasing anticipations to our next one, when our sledge 
banner will have become more valuable. The men are still enjoying 
themselves quietly singing and toasting. The officers went down for an 
hour or so. It would be utterly useless and endless in me to try to write 
what were my thoughts about home and friends. This one thing I am 
sure of—that they did not think oftener or with more loving wishes of 
me than I did of them. What would I not give for just one peep at 
home ! One thing has struck me several times since I came out here. 
Mother said at the dinner-table last Christmas that she did not expect 
that we would all meet there this one. I wondered at it at the time, 
and I am sure so did the rest; but none of us dreamt of my being here; 
but now the prophecy is fulfilled. Well, considering all things, I have 
spent a very pleasant Christmas, and now good-night, and may we all be 
spared to spend the one after next at home around the family hearth ! 
“ January 28, 1858. II ritorno del sole. The long wished-for event 
occurred to-day at 11.25, mean time. I was the first to see the sun, being 
up in the crosstrees. The temperature to-day has varied from 35° to 
40° *5—the lowest we have had as yet. Thermometers were compared 
in the forenoon; barometer rising all day near 33*26; seven and a half 
hours’ daylight. Many bergs are to be seen from the mast-head. Men 
are engaged building snow-houses. Very little wind to-day; about 1, 
rather southerly. The whole under-surface of the snow on the top of 
the floe is a mass of plesiomorphous crystals. I made some drawings of 
the forms. The ensign hoisted, and extra half-gill of grog issued in 
honour of the reappearance of the sun ; sun absent eighty-nine days. 
“ Easter Monday, April 5. The past night, or rather morning, has 
been replete with incidents. The gale of yesterday had continued, when, 
at 2.20 a. m. the floes alongside cracked in a line with the ship, and we 
were set adrift. All hands were called on deck, and, amidst blinding 
drift and a cold squally gale, there was an ice anchor, with hawser and 
cable, got out, and the ship was secured head to wind to the starboard 
vol. v.— rev. 2d 
