to leave the ship, which was beginning to roll a little.  Accustomed as they are to brave high waves in their kayaks or flats, they nevertheless felt the motion of the vessel and were afraid of seasickness.  Before starting John had to splice his oar with a strip of seal hide.  I watched him put it round the handle, then holding on to the oar with both hands get the rope in his teeth and pull his lashing tight with all the strength of his back.  So the teeth served him at each turn.

SUNSET, MOONRISE AND AURORA BOREALIS.

Now we have got fairly out to sea.  The light land breeze has ceased and we are lying becalmed.  What a sunset there is over that Alpine range of snowy mountains!  Yonder dark hills to the north of Ramah are glowing as if they were red hot through and through.  True this is a glory that fadeth, yet the cloudless sky long retains the brilliant hues, and the seaward horizon has a broad red band shading off above and below into blue.  Still more beautiful is the paler pink reflection, tinting the smooth surface of the water on all sides of us save the west.  There the sun has just gone down, and the lingering glories of the sky are reflected on the rippling waves in a wonderful network of bright yellow and deep orange.  Look southward again, now that the darkness is beginning to tell on the scene.  Over yonder great iceberg the rising moon sends a path of silvery light across the water, now a broad waving band, now innumerable sparks and circlets dancing like fairy lights upon the gently swelling sea.

All this is beautiful, but what follows is a rarer sight.

“Mr. La Trobe, the northern lights.”

“Thank you, captain, I will be on deck in a moment.”

I have seen many pictures of the Aurora Borealis, and we have already had some fine displays during this voyage, but I never witnessed anything like this.  Truly the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth His handiwork!  Undulating bands of bright white light are swiftly scintillating across the sky, now curving upwards from the horizon, now stretching in broad stripes right over the zenith.  Sometimes the Aurora is stationary and the smooth surface of the sea reflects the steady light; in the next moment it is moving rapidly all over the heavens.  The swifter the motion the more brilliant the red or pink or green, which at times fringes the lower edge of the broad white bands of light.

Monday, September 17th.—­Early this morning I went on deck and found we were a considerable distance outside the Kangertluksoak Fjord.  We were much nearer the entrance for the greater part of yesterday, but a strong contrary wind kept us tacking to and fro the whole day, till the darkness made it impossible to reach Hebron, which lies in a little side bay to the north of the great fjord.  There were many large icebergs around us, and we passed quite close to some floating fragments, which proved