he berths and bed-places were fumigated with a composition
of gunpowder mixed with vinegar, and known familiarly by the name
of _devils_; an operation which had been regularly gone through
once a week during the winter.

For the last three or four days of April the snow on the black
cloth of our housing had begun to thaw a little during a few hours
in the middle of the day, and on the 30th so rapid a change took
place in the temperature of the atmosphere, that the thermometer
stood at the freezing, or, as it may more properly be termed in
this climate, the thawing point, being the first time that such an
event had occurred for nearly eight months, or since the 9th of
the preceding September. This temperature was to our feelings, so
much like that of summer, that I was under the necessity of using
my authority to prevent the men from making such an alteration in
their clothing as might have been attended with very dangerous
consequences. The thermometer had ranged from -32 deg. to +32 deg. in the
course of twenty days. There was, at this period, more snow upon
the ground than at any other time of the year, the average depth
on the lower parts of the land being four or five inches, but much
less upon the hills; while in the ravines a very large quantity
had been collected. The snow at this time became so soft, from the
influence of the sun upon it, as to make walking very laborious
and unpleasant.

The fine and temperate weather with which the month of April had
concluded, induced Captain Sabine to set the clocks going, in
order to commence his observations for the pendulum, and he now
took up his quarters entirely on shore for that purpose. On the
first of May, however, it blew a strong gale from the northward,
which made it impossible to keep up the desired temperature in the
house: and so heavy was the snowdrift, that in a few hours the
house was nearly covered, and we were obliged to communicate with
Captain Sabine and his attendants through a small window, from
which the snow was, with much labour, cleared away, the door being
quite inaccessible. We saw the sun at midnight for the first time
this season.

The gale and snowdrift continued on the following day, when we had
literally to dig out the sentries, who attended the fire at the
house, in order to have them relieved.

On the 6th, the thermometer rose no higher than +8 1/2 deg. during
the day; but, as the wind was moderate, and it was high time to
endeavou