temperature the snow becomes too soft for convenient walking, and the accumulation of ice in the crevices and linings of the officers’ cabins is converted into a source of extreme annoyance, which, while it continues solid, is never experienced.  It is true that these inconveniences occur in a much greater degree in the spring; but being then hailed as the harbingers of the return of permanent warmth, it is easy to obviate some, and would be hard to complain of any of them.

Nov. 6.—­For several days about this period the weather continued remarkably mild, the thermometer generally rising as high as from +20 deg. to +28 deg. in the course of the day, from the 6th to the 16th.  Most of our necessary arrangements for the security of the ships and stores during the winter being now completed, the people were employed in what they called “rigging the theatre,” and on the evening of the 9th the officers performed the play of the “Rivals,” to the infinite amusement of both ships’ companies.

On the 1st of December there was a space of many miles in which none of the “old ice” was visible.  The sea was here for the most part covered with a very thin sheet of “young” ice, probably the formation of a single day, since the westerly wind had driven the ‘floes’ off the land.  The whole of this was in motion with the tide, which, breaking the thin floes, left several spaces of clear water.  It was observable that, though a considerable frost-smoke arose from the young ice, it was not so dense as that from the clear water, immediately over every pool of which a little thick cloud floated, corresponding as well in size as in situation with the pond from whence it issued.  A number of dovekies were swimming about the point; and it being desirable, if possible, to obtain some of them for the sake of ascertaining their plumage at this season, we hauled the small boat over and launched her.  Mr. Ross succeeded in killing one of the birds, which was preserved as a specimen, but it was with great difficulty that the boat avoided being carried away from the shore by the young ice.  I was, on this account, afraid of repeating the attempt during the rest of the winter.  One grouse was seen on shore; it appeared entirely white, except having its tail black near the tip.

I was this day under the necessity of closing in my stern dead-lights, and fixing cork shutters between the double window-frames of my cabin, the temperature having lately fallen rather low at night; in consequence of which, one of the chronometers had stopped on the 26th of November.  We had before this time banked the snow up against the sides; but it was now thrown higher, and its thickness at the bottom increased to about four feet.  Besides this, a bed of snow, three feet deep, was subsequently laid on the deck over my cabin, and also on the forecastle over the sick-bay, to assist in retaining the warmth in those parts of the ship; an office which it seemed to perform