those of the former who undertook to appear in female dresses.

In the constant hope that each succeeding day would produce some
amendment in the weather, we endeavoured contentedly to put up
with the cold, which, however, continued to be so intense in the
cabin for several weeks after this, that it was impossible to sit
there without being warmly wrapped up; and it was not uncommon for
us, at this period, to reverse the usual order of things, by
throwing off our great coats when we went on deck to warm
ourselves by exercise (the only mode we had of doing so), and
immediately resuming them on coming below.

With our present temperature, the breath of a person at a little
distance looked exactly like the smoke of a musket just fired, and
that of a party of men employed upon the ice to-day resembled a
thick white cloud.

At a quarter past ten on Thursday, the 24th, while the men were
running round the decks for exercise, and were on that account
fortunately well clothed, the house on shore was discovered to be
on fire. All the officers and men of both ships instantly ran up
to extinguish it; and having, by great exertion, pulled off the
roof with ropes, and knocked down a part of the sides, so as to
allow snow to be thrown upon the flames, we succeeded in getting
it under after three quarters of an hour, and fortunately before
the fire had reached that end of the house where the two clocks,
together with the transit and other valuable instruments, were
standing in their cases. Having removed these, and covered the
ruins with snow, to prevent any remains of fire from breaking out
again, we returned on board till more temperate weather should