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88 Letters written during the late Voyage of Discovery have been the case had they been constantly in contact with the intense cold of the external air. Snow you have read is a bad conductor of heat. The accumulated snow also prevented the ice from forming to a greater thickness than it would otherwise have done. Thursday 4th appeared an order, to take effect on the 10th, reducing the daily allowance of provisions, of all sorts, to two- thirds of the usual quantity. The ships were victualled for only two years, and one was now expired since we left the Thames; the necessity of this reduction was so apparent to all on board both ships, that not a man showed the least reluctance, officers or men, to comply with the regulation. It was also ordered, that whatever game should be brought on board should be used as common property, not in addition to the regulated allowance, but in its place as far as it should go. These game-laws, as we called them, were applied without the smallest distinction of commander, officer, or man, of both ships. The only exception was in favour of the sick, to whom fresh meat was furnished whenever it could be procured. The first opportunity of affording this relief, after being deprived of fresh provisions of any kind for six months together, was on the 13th, when a ptarmigan, or grouse, was shot by Mr. Beverley, our surgeon. This was, perhaps, the bird that was seen the day before. But in a few days several more were seen, and their tracks on the snow were so numerous, as to show that many birds were now arrived in the island. When I say arrived, I conclude that these grouse came from some more fa voured region ; for had they remained in our quarter of the world, some of them must have been observed. It was remark able, also, that they were first seen in the first good weather after the beginning of constant sunshine, which took place on the 1st. I have understood here, that in the winter time grouse are found in vast numbers in the neighbourhood of Hudson’s Bay; a fact which would probably be confirmed were we at all acquainted vvith that part of North America which lies farther to the westward, and the nearest continent to the southward of our station. An officer of the Hecla saw four ptarmigans on the wing on the 15th, which seemed to have crossed the sea, or rather the ice, from the southward. Grouse are not the only birds already seen around us : snow-buntings and a raven have been observed. The latter was prevented, by the approach of a party on shore, from falling a prey to a wolf, who, instead of alarming the bird, by a direct attack, moved round him, closing in gradually, until the raven was disturbed by our people and flew off. Wednesday, Vjtli May, several persons out on shooting expe ditions have been affected with what is called snow-blindness, a very painful disorder, beginning with a feeling as if sand or dust