The building mania seemed to be very prevalent amongst the officers, the majority of whom employed themselves in constructing snow-houses for various purposes near the ship. One officer went so far as to commence a _colonnade_, reaching from the shore to the ship, the pillars to be made of frozen blocks of snow, but the undertaking was of too gigantic a nature to be carried out with any hope of success, and was abandoned after a few days' work. A wooden observatory, brought out from England for the express purpose, was set up for the transit instrument, and this with a house adjoining, in which was placed the alt-azimuth instrument, being the head-quarters of our astronomical observers, Parr and May, went by the name of "Greenwich." [Illustration: DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATING THE MAGNETIC OBSERVATORY AT "KEW." EXPLANATION OF PLAN. A The Unifilar House. B The Barrow Dip Circle House. C The Declinometer House. DD Passage connecting A and B, 37½ ft. in length. EEE The main passage, 120 ft. long. F Passage leading to Declinometer House, 44 ft. from entrance. G The main, and only, entrance. Distant from the _Alert_ 504 ft. All houses and passages were "sub-glacial."] Snow-houses were constructed on shore for the several magnetic instruments, and these latter were securely fixed by being firmly frozen on snow pedestals. The three houses in which the instruments were placed were connected, one with the other, by sub-glacial passages, one being no less than a hundred and twenty feet in length. The whole establishment, which was most complete and reflected great credit on its architect, was called "Kew." Giffard and myself were the two officers entrusted with the charge of the magnetic observations, and many a cold and comfortless hour had we to spend, in our endeavours to add to the slight knowledge we possess in this interesting branch of science. Several other snow-houses were built for various purposes. One was for the reception of our powder, as it is most important that such a dangerous and combustible article should be removed from the ship, where of necessity so many fires have to be kept up. The place in which the powder was stored was called "Woolwich." Others were constructed in which were deposited all our salt beef for present use, and these buildings, of course, went by the name of "Deptford," after our great naval victualling depôt in England. Altogether the neighbourhood of our winter quarters had the appearance of a young thriving settlement rapidly springing into maturity, rendering what would otherwise have been a barren and desolate scene, one of cheerful life and activity.