“We are again building around our house with ice, which proved such an addition last winter, and the double sashes to the windows have been put in. I have added a side-board to my bunk and covered the adjacent walls with paper, thus adding to the warmth. Much may be done to mitigate the evils of this climate. The moral and social evils are what we can not meet, or rather do not repel.” Mrs. Greely’s birthday was again observed, chiefly by a good dinner with wine furnished by Lieutenant Greely. Lockwood’s own birthday was also celebrated in like manner, when he recorded the following: “After dinner Lieutenant Greely and I had a long talk—reminiscences of army-life, speculations as to our retreat in boats, etc. When alone, my mind turned to the dear ones at home and the many warm friends I had elsewhere, and to the happy days spent with them. [Illustration: Lockwood’s Corner.] “My corner, which is the coldest of all the corners, was improved by covering floor and walls with paper. I also found an improvement by adding side-boards to the bunk, and finally by converting the bed into a regular sleeping-bag. Before this was done, I sometimes became very chilly during the night after the fires went down. Our lamps now burn all day. How wearisome this constant artificial light becomes, we know from the experience of last winter. I dread it under our present social relations. Even Lieutenant Greely refers to these as intensifying what would otherwise not much distress him. My daily routine is somewhat as follows: Breakfast at half-past seven, with scarcely a word spoken by any one. Then I smoke, standing by the stove in the cook’s room. Afterward, tailoring or some other work. At noon, a walk to Proteus Point if possible. Afterward, read or sleep till dinner at four. Again smoke as before. Then a few games of chess with Lieutenant Greely or checkers with the Esquimaux. Then read a little French or a good deal of whatever I find most interesting. Then to my army-bunk, to sleep till next morning, when the same routine is repeated.” On the 20th, he made a trip to Depot “B” with some of the men and two dog-sledges to bring down the musk-ox meat left there in _cache_. They found the foot-ice near shore so rough that they had to keep well out, but still they made the eighteen miles in six hours, which may be regarded as fair traveling with dogs.