POST-CAPTAINS OF 1821.
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this plan was, that the fogs were somewhat more, frequent and more thick by night than by day, though even in this respect there was less difference than might have been supposed, the temperature during the 24 hours undergoing but little variation. When we rose in the evening, we commenced our day by prayers, after which we took off our fur sleeping dresses, and put on those for travelling; the former being made of camblet, lined with racoon-skin, and the latter of strong blue box-doth. We made a point of always putting on the same stockings and boots for travelling in, whether they had dried during the day or not; and I believe it was only in five or six instances, at the most, that they were not either still wet or hard-frozen. This, indeed, was of no consequence, beyond the discomfort of first putting them on in this state, as they were sure to be thoroughly wet in a quarter of an hour after commencing our journey; while on the other hand, it was of vital importance to keep dry things for sleeping in. Being rigged for travelling, we breakfasted upon warm cocoa and biscuit, and after stowing the things in the boats and on the sledges, so as to secure them, as much as possible, from wet, we set off on our day’s journey, and usually travelled from 5 to 5½ hours, then stopped an hour to dine, and again travelled 4, 6, or even 6 hours, according to circumstances. After this we halted for the night, an we called it, though it was usually early in the morning, selecting the largest surface of ice we happened to be near, for hauling the boats on in order to avoid the danger of its breaking up by coming in contact with other masses, and also to prevent drift as much as possible. The boats were placed close alongside each other, with their sterns to the wind, the snow or wet cleared out of them, and the sails, supported by the masts and paddles, placed over them as awnings, an entrance being left at the bow. Every man then immediately put on dry stockings and fur boots, after which we set about the necessary repairs of boats, sledges, or clothes; and, after serving the provisions for the succeeding day, we went to supper. Most of the officers and men then smoked their pipes, which served to dry the boats and awnings very much, and usually raised the temperature of our lodgings 10° or 15°. This part of the 24 hours was often a time, and the only one, of real enjoyment to us; the men told their stories and ‘fought all their battles o’er again,’ and the labours of the day, unsuccessful as they too often proved, were forgotten. A regular watch was set during our resting time, to look out for bears, or for the ice breaking up around us, as well as to attend to the drying of the clothes, each man alternately taking this duty for one hour. We then concluded our day with prayers, and having put on our fur dresses, lay down to sleep with a degree of comfort, which perhaps few persons would imagine possible under such circumstances; our chief inconvenience being, that we were somewhat pinched for room, and therefore obliged to stow rather closer than was quite agreeable. The temperature, while we slept, was usually from 36° to 45°, according to the state of the external atmosphere; but on one or two occasions, in calm and warm weather, it rose as high as 60° to 66°, obliging us to throw off a part
