On the arrival of the last day of the year, it was impossible not to experience very high gratification in observing the excellent health and spirits enjoyed by almost every officer and man in both ships.  The only invalid in the expedition was Reid, our carpenter’s mate, and even he was at this period so much improved, that very sanguine hopes were entertained of his continued amendment.  In consequence of the effectual manner in which the men were clothed, particularly about the feet, not a single frostbite had occurred that required medical assistance even for a day; and, what was more important to us, not a scorbutic symptom had appeared.

To increase our ordinary issue of anti-scorbutics, liberal as it already was, we had from the commencement of the winter adopted a regular system of growing mustard and cress, which the superior warmth of the ships now enabled us to do on a larger scale than before.  Each mess, both of the officers and ships’ company, was for this purpose furnished with a shallow box filled with mould, in which a crop could generally be raised in from eight to ten days.  The quantity thus procured on board the Fury now amounted to about fifty pounds’ weight, and before the arrival of spring to nearly one hundred pounds; and, trifling as such a supply may appear to those who are in the habit of being more abundantly furnished, it will not be considered to have been without its use, when it is remembered how complete a specific for the scurvy fresh vegetable substance has invariably proved.

With respect to the occupations which engaged our time, during this season of unavoidable inactivity, I can add little or nothing to my former account of the manner in which we passed the winter at Melville Island; for the two situations were so nearly similar, and our resources necessarily so limited in this way, that it was not easy to produce much variety in the employment of them.  It may be imagined, and was, indeed, anticipated by ourselves, that want of novelty was on the present occasion a disadvantage likely to render our confinement more tedious than before; but this by no means appeared to be the case:  for the men, sufficient employment may always be found to prevent the possibility of their being idle; and I have already noticed the auxiliaries to which we had recourse to assist in promoting this end; while most officers have resources within themselves, of which scarcely any situation or circumstances can divest them.  What with reading, writing, making and calculating observations, observing the various natural phenomena, and taking the exercise necessary to preserve our health, nobody, I believe, ever felt any symptoms of ennui during our continuance in winter-quarters.