The rapid at the commencement of the river remained open in the severest weather although it was somewhat contracted in width. Its temperature was 32°, as was the surface of the river opposite the house about a quarter of a mile lower down tried at a hole in the ice through which water was drawn for domestic purposes. The river here was two fathoms and a half deep and the temperature at its bottom was at least 42° above zero. This fact was ascertained by a spirit thermometer in which, probably from some irregularity in the tube, a small portion of the coloured liquid usually remained at 42° when the column was made to descend rapidly. In the present instance, the thermometer standing at 47° below zero with no portion of the fluid in the upper part of the tube, was let down slowly into the water but drawn cautiously and rapidly up again, when a red drop at plus 42° indicated that the fluid had risen to that point or above it. At this period the daily visits of the sun were very short and, owing to the obliquity of his rays, afforded us little warmth or light. It is half-past eleven before he peeps over a small ridge of hills opposite to the house, and he sinks in the horizon at half-past two. On the 28th Mr. Hood, in order to attain an approximation to the quantity of terrestrial refraction, observed the sun’s meridian altitude when the thermometer stood at 46° below zero, at the imminent hazard of having his fingers frozen.
He found the sextant had changed its error considerably, and that the glasses had lost their parallelism from the contraction of the brass. In measuring the error he perceived that the diameter of the sun’s image was considerably short of twice the semi-diameter, a proof of the uncertainty of celestial observations made during these intense frosts. The results of this and another similar observation are given in the footnote.[[22]]
[22] The observed meridian altitude of sun upper limb was 2° 52′ 51″. Temperature of the air minus 45.5°. By comparing this altitude, corrected by the mean refraction and parallax with that deduced from the latitude which was observed in autumn, the increase of refraction is found to be 6′ 50″, the whole refraction therefore for the altitude 2° 52′ 51″ is 21′ 49″. Admitting that the refraction increases in the same ratio as that of the atmosphere at a mean state of temperature the horizontal refraction will be 47° 22″. But the diameter of the sun, measured immediately after the observation, was only 27′ 7″, which shows an increase of refraction at the lower limb of 3′ 29″. The horizontal refraction calculated with this difference and the above-mentioned ratio is 56′ 3″ at the temperature minus 45.5°. So that in the parallel 68° 42′ where, if there is no refraction, the sun would be invisible for thirty-four days, his upper limb with the refraction 56′ 3″ is in fact above the horizon at every noon.
The wind was from the westward a moderate breeze and the air perfectly clear. January 1st, 1821. Observed meridian altitude of sun lower limb 2° 35′ 20″, sun apparent diameter 29° 20′. For apparent altitude 2° 35′ 20″ the mean refraction is 16′ 5″ (Mackay’s Tables) and the true, found as detailed above, is 20′ 8″ which, increasing in the same ratio as that of the atmosphere at a mean state of temperature, is 41′ 19″ at the horizon. But the difference of refraction at the upper and lower limbs increasing also in that ratio gives 55′ 16″ for the horizontal refraction. Temperature of the air minus 41°. Wind north, a light breeze, a large halo visible about the sun. January 15th, 1821. Observed an apparent meridian altitude sun lower limb 4° 24′ 57″. Sun apparent diameter 31′ 5″. For apparent altitude 4° 24′ 57″ the mean refraction is 10′ 58″ (Mackay’s Tables) and the true, found as detailed above, is 14′ 39″ which, increasing in the same ratio as that of the atmosphere at a mean state of temperature, is 43′ 57″ at the horizon. But the difference of refraction between the upper and lower limbs increasing also in that ratio gives 48′ 30″ for the horizontal refraction.
Temperature of the air minus 35°, a light air from the westward, very clear.
The extreme coldness of the weather rendered these operations difficult and dangerous; yet I think the observations may be depended upon within 30″, as will appear by their approximate results in calculating the horizontal refraction, for it must be considered that an error of 30″ in the refraction in altitude would make a difference of several minutes in the horizontal refraction.—Mr. Hood’s Journal.
The Aurora Borealis appeared with more or less brilliancy on twenty-eight nights of this month and we were also gratified by the resplendent beauty of the moon which for many days together performed its circle round the heavens, shining with undiminished lustre and scarcely disappearing below the horizon during the twenty-four hours.
During many nights there was a halo round the moon although the stars shone brightly and the atmosphere appeared otherwise clear. The same phenomenon was observed round the candles even in our bedrooms, the diameter of the halo increasing as the observer receded from the light. These halos, both round the moon and candles, occasionally exhibited faintly some of the prismatic colours.
As it may be interesting to the reader to know how we passed our time at this season of the year I shall mention briefly that a considerable portion of it was occupied in writing up our journals. Some newspapers and magazines that we had received from England with our letters were read again and again and commented upon at our meals; and we often exercised ourselves with conjecturing the changes that might take place in the world before we could hear from it again. The probability of our receiving letters and the period of their arrival were calculated to a nicety. We occasionally paid the woodmen a visit or took a walk for a mile or two on the river.
In the evenings we joined the men in the hall and took part in their games which generally continued to a late hour; in short we never found the time to hang heavy upon our hands; and the peculiar occupations of each of the officers afforded them more employment than might at first be supposed. I recalculated the observations made on our route; Mr. Hood protracted the charts, and made those drawings of birds, plants and fishes, which cannot appear in this work but which have been the admiration of everyone who has seen them. Each of the party sedulously and separately recorded their observations on the Aurora Borealis; and Dr. Richardson contrived to obtain from under the snow specimens of most of the lichens in the neighbourhood, and to make himself acquainted with the mineralogy of the surrounding country.
The Sabbath was always a day of rest with us; the woodmen were required to provide for the exigencies of that day on Saturday and the party were dressed in their best attire. Divine service was regularly performed and the Canadians attended and behaved with great decorum although they were all Roman Catholics and but little acquainted with the language in which the prayers were read. I regretted much that we had not a French Prayer-Book but the Lord’s Prayer and Creed were always read to them in their own language.
Our diet consisted almost entirely of reindeer meat, varied twice a week by fish and occasionally by a little flour, but we had no vegetables of any description. On the Sunday mornings we drank a cup of chocolate but our greatest luxury was tea (without sugar) of which we regularly partook twice a day. With reindeer’s fat and strips of cotton shirts we formed candles; and Hepburn acquired considerable skill in the manufacture of soap from the wood-ashes, fat and salt. The formation of soap was considered as rather a mysterious operation by our Canadians and in their hands was always supposed to fail if a woman approached the kettle in which the ley was boiling. Such are our simple domestic details.
On the 30th two hunters came from the leader to convey ammunition to him as soon as our men should bring it from Fort Providence.