entertainments were invented, more than one or two plays were
performed on board the Hecla with the thermometer below zero on
the stage.

The _North Georgia Gazette_, which I have already mentioned, was a
source of great amusement, not only to the contributors, but to
those who, from diffidence of their own talents or other reasons,
could not be prevailed on to add their mite to the little stock of
literary composition which was weekly demanded; for those who
declined to write were not unwilling to read, and more ready to
criticise than those who wielded the pen; but it was that
good-humoured sort of criticism that could not give offence. The
subjects handled in this paper were of course various, but
generally applicable to our own situation.

The return of each successive day had been always very decidedly
marked by a considerable twilight for some time about noon, that
on the shortest day being sufficient to enable us to walk out very
comfortably for about two hours.[*] There was usually, in clear
weather, a beautiful arch of bright red light overspreading the
southern horizon for an hour or two before and after noon, the
light increasing, of course, in strength, as the sun approached
the meridian. Short as the day now was, if, indeed, any part of
the twenty-four hours could be properly called by that name, the
reflection of light from the snow, aided occasionally by a bright
moon, was at all times sufficient to prevent our experiencing,
even under the most unfavourable circumstances, anything like the
gloomy night which occurs in more temperate climates. Especial
care was taken, during the time the sun was below the horizon, to
preserve the strictest regularity in the time of our meals, and in