] To-day I have moved with my
work up into the deck-house again, where I can sit and look out of
the window in the daytime, and feel that I am living in the world
and not in a cavern, where one must have lamplight night and day. I
intend remaining here as long as possible out into the winter: it is
so cozy and quiet, and the monotonous surroundings are not constantly
forcing themselves in upon me.

"I really have the feeling that summer has come. I can pace up and
down the deck by the hour together with the sun, or stand still and
roast myself in it, while I smoke a pipe, and my eyes glide over
the confused masses of snow and ice. The snow is everywhere wet now,
and pools are beginning to form every here and there. The ice too is
getting more and more permeated with salt-water; if one bores ever so
small a hole in it, it is at once filled with water. The reason, of
course, is that, owing to the rise in the temperature, the particles
of salt contained in the ice begin to melt their surroundings, and
more and more water is formed with a good admixture of salt in it,
so that its freezing-point is lower than the temperature of the ice
around it. This, too, had risen materially; at about 4 feet depth it
is only 25.2 deg. Fahr. (-3.8 deg. C), at 5 feet it is somewhat warmer again,
26.5 deg. Fahr. (-3.1 deg. C).

"Sunday, June 10th. Oddly enough we have had no cases of snow-blindness
on board, with the exception of the doctor, who, a couple of days
ago, after we had been playing at ball, got a touch of it in the
evening. The tears poured from his eyes for some time, but he soon
recovered. Rather a humiliating trick of fate that he should be the
first to suffer from this ailment." Subsequently we had a few isolated
cases of slight snow-blindness, so that one or two of our men had to go
about with dark spectacles; but it was of little importance and was due
to their not thinking it worth while to take the necessary precautions.

"Monday, June 11th. To-day I made a joyful discovery. I thought I
had begun my last bundle of cigars, and calculated that by smoking
one a day they would last a month, but found quite unexpectedly
a whole box in my locker. Great rejoicing! it will help to while
away a few more months, and where shall we be then? Poor fellow,
you are really at a low ebb! 'To while away time'--that is an idea
that has scarcely ever entered your head before. It has always been
your great trouble that time flew away so fa