This steady sinking of the mercury was accompanied by a complete stillness of the atmosphere; the very air seemed to be congealed ; no particle of it stirred ; from zenith to horizon there was never a cloud; neither were there any of the damp mists or dry fogs which so often extend over the polar regions of the earth ; the sky was always clear ; the sun shone by day and the stars by night without causing any perceptible difference in the temperature. Mehr sehen