eighty-four days, being twelve days less than the time of its
remaining actually beneath the horizon, independently of the
effects of atmospherical refraction. On ascending the main-top, I
found the sun to be plainly visible over the land to the south;
but at noon there was a dusky sort of cloud hanging about the
horizon, which prevented our seeing anything like a defined limb,
so as to measure or estimate its altitude correctly.

At noon on the 7th we had the first clear view of the sun which we
had yet enjoyed since its reappearance above our horizon, and an
indistinct parhelion, or mock sun, slightly prismatic, was seen on
the eastern side of it, at the distance of 22°.

There was now sufficient daylight, from eight o'clock till four,
to enable us to perform with great facility any work outside the
ships. I was not sorry to commence upon some of the occupations
more immediately connected with the equipment of the ships for sea
than those to which we had hitherto been obliged to have recourse
as mere employment. We therefore began this day to collect stones
for ballast, of which it was calculated that the Hecla would
require in the spring nearly seventy tons, besides twenty tons of
additional water, to make up for the loss of weight by the
expenditure of provisions and stores. These stones were brought
down on sledges about half a mile to the beach, where they were
broken into a convenient size for stowage, and then weighed in
scales erected on the beach for the purpose; thus affording to the
men a considerable quantity of bodily exercise whenever the
weather would permit them to be so employed.

The distance at which sounds were heard in the open air, during