 Part 1, Chapter 15 of the Fur Country. Summer had now commenced, and as upon the most favourable calculation only three more weeks would intervene before the bad season set in and interrupted the labours of the explorers. The greatest haste was necessary in completing the new buildings, and McNab and his workmen surpassed themselves in industry. The dog-house was on the eve of being finished, and very little remained to be done to the palisading which was to encircle the fort. An inner court had been constructed in the shape of a half-moon, fenced with tall pointed stakes fifteen feet high, to which a posture gave entrance. Jasper Hobson favoured the system of an unbroken enclosure with detached forts, a great improvement upon the tactics of Vauban and Cormontage, and knew that to make his defence complete the summit of Kate Bathurst, which was the key of the position, must be fortified, until that could be done however, he thought the palisading would be a sufficient protection, at least against quadrupeds. The next thing was to lay in a supply of oil and lights, and accordingly an expedition was organised to a spot about fifteen miles distant where seals were plentiful. Mrs. Paulina Barnett, being invited to accompany the sportsmen, not indeed for the sake of watching the poor creatures slaughtered, but to satisfy her curiosity with regard to the country around Kate Bathurst, and to see some cliffs on that part of the coast which were worthy of notice. The lieutenant chose as his other companions, Sergeant Long, and the soldiers Peterson, Hope, and Calais, and the party set off at eight o'clock in the morning in two sledges, each drawn by six dogs, on which the bodies of the seals were to be brought back. The weather was fine, but the fog which lay low along the horizon veiled the rays of the sun, whose yellow disc was now beginning to disappear for some hours during the night, a circumstance which attracted the lieutenant's attention, for reasons which we will explain. That part of the shore to the west of Kate Bathurst rises but a few inches above the level of the sea, and the tides are, or are said, to be very high in the Arctic Ocean. Many navigators, such as Perry, Franklin, the two Rosses, McClure and McClintock, having observed that when the sun and moon were in conjection the waters were sometimes twenty-five feet above the ordinary level. How then was it to be explained that the sea did not at high tide, inundate Kate Bathurst, which possessed no natural defences, such as cliffs or downs? What was it, in fact, which prevented the entire submersion of the whole district? And the meeting of the waters of the lake with those of the Arctic Ocean? Jasper Hobson could not refrain from remarking on this peculiarity to Mrs. Barnette, who replied, somewhat hastily, that she supposed that there were, in spite of all that had been said, to the contrary, no tides in the Arctic Ocean. On the contrary, madam, said Hobson, all navigators agree that the ebb and flow of polar seas are very distinctly marked, and it is impossible to believe that they can have been mistaken on such a subject. How is it, then, inquired Mrs. Barnette, that this land is not flooded when it is scarcely ten feet above the sea level at low tide? That is just what puzzles me, said Hobson, for I have been attentively watching the tides all through this month, and during that time they have not varied more than a foot. And I feel certain that even during the September equinox they will not rise more than a foot and a half all along the shores of Kate Bathurst. Can you not explain this phenomenon, inquired Mrs. Barnette? Well, madam, replied the Lieutenant. Two conclusions are open to us, either of which I find it difficult to believe. Such men as Franklin, Perry, Ross, and others are mistaken, and there are no tides on this part of the American coast. Or, as in the Mediterranean, to which the waters of the Atlantic have not free ingress, the straits are too narrow to be affected by the ocean currents. The latter would appear to be the more reasonable hypotheses, Mr. Hobson. It is not, however, thoroughly satisfactory, said the Lieutenant, and I feel sure that if we could but find it there is some simple and natural explanation of the phenomenon. After a monotonous journey along a flat and sandy shore the party reached their destination, and, having unharnessed the teams, they were left behind unless they should startle the seals. At the first glance around them all were equally struck with the contrast between the appearance of this district and that of Kate Bathurst. Here the coastline was broken and fretted, showing manifest traces of its igneous origin, whereas the site of the fort was of sedimentary formation and aqueous origin. Stone, so conspicuously absent at the Cape, was here plentiful. The black sand and porous lava were strewn with huge boulders deeply embedded in the soil, and there were large quantities of the aluminum, silica, and feldspar pebbles peculiar to the crystalline strata of one class of igneous rocks. Glittering Labrador stones and many other kinds of feldspar, red, green and blue, were sprinkled on the unfrequented beach, with gray and yellow pumice stone, and lustrous variegated obsidian. Tall cliffs, rising some two hundred feet above the sea, frowned down upon the bay, and the Lieutenant resolved to climb them and obtain a good view of the eastern side of the country. For this there was plenty of time, as but few of the creatures they had come to seek were as yet to be seen, and the proper time for the attack would be when they assembled for the afternoon siesta, in which the amphibious mammalia always indulge. The Lieutenant, however, quickly discovered that the animals frequenting this coast were not, as he had been led to suppose, two seals, although they belonged to the Phocidier family, but morces or walruses, sometimes called sea-cows. They resemble the seals in general form, but the canine teeth of the upper jaw, curved downwards, are much more largely developed. Following the coastline, which curved considerably, and to which they gave the name of Walruses Bay, the party soon reached the foot of the cliff, and Peterson, Hope and Calais took up their positions as sentinels on the little promontory whilst Mrs. Barnette, hobbs in and long, after promising not to lose sight of their comrades, and to be on the lookout for their signal, proceeded to climb the cliff, the summit of which they reached in about a quarter of an hour. From this position they were able to survey the whole surrounding country. At their feet lay the vast sea, stretching northward as far as the eye could reach. It's expanse so entirely unbroken by islands or icebergs that the travellers came to the conclusion that this portion of the Arctic waters was navigable as far as Bering Straits, and that during the summer season the northwest passage to Cape Bathurst would be open to the company ships. On the west, the aspect of the country explained the presence of the volcanic debris on the shore. For at a distance of about ten miles was a chain of granitic hills, of conical form, with blunted crests, looking as if their summits had been cut off, and with jagged, tremulous outlines, standing out against the sky. They had hitherto escaped the notice of our party, and they were concealed by the cliffs on the Cape Bathurst side, and Jasper Hobbson examined them in silence, but with great attention, before he proceeded to study the eastern side, which consisted of a long strip of perfectly level coastline stretching away to Cape Bathurst. Anyone provided, with a good field-glass, would have been able to distinguish the fort of good hope, and perhaps even the cloud of blue smoke, which was no doubt at the very moment issuing for Mrs. Jolieve's kitchen chimney. The country behind them seemed to possess two entirely distinct characters. To the east and south the Cape was bounded by a vast plain, many hundreds of square miles in extent, while behind the cliff, from Walruses Bay, to the mountains mentioned above, the country had undergone terrible convulsions, showing clearly that it owed its origin to volcanic eruptions. The lieutenant was much struck with this marked contrast, and Sergeant Long asked him whether he thought the mountains on the western horizon were volcanoes. Undoubtedly, said Hobbson, all these pumice-stones and pebbles, have been discharged by them to this distance, and if we were to go two or three miles further we should find ourselves treading upon nothing but lava and ashes. Do you suppose, inquired the sergeant, that all these volcanoes are still active? That I cannot tell you yet. But there is no smoke issuing from any of them, added the sergeant. That proves nothing. Your pipe is not always in your mouth, and it is just the same with volcanoes. They are not always smoking. I see," said the sergeant, but it is a great puzzle to me how volcanoes can exist at all, on polar continents. Well, there are not many of them, said Mrs. Barnett. No, madam, replied Jasper. But they are not so very rare either. They are to be found in Jan Mayans' land, and the Aleutian Islands, Kemkacha, Russian America, and Iceland, as well as in the Antarctic Circle, in Tierra, Delfuego, and Australia. They are the chimneys of the great furnace in the centre of the earth, where nature makes your chemical experiments, and it appears to me that the Creator of all things has taken care to place these safety valves wherever they are most needed. I suppose so," replied the sergeant, and yet it does seem very strange to find them in this icy climate. Why would they not be here, as well as anywhere else, sergeant? I should say that ventilation holes are likely to be more numerous at the poles than at the equator. Why so? asked the sergeant, in much surprise. Because if these safety valves are forced open by the pressure of subterranean gases, it will most likely be at the spots where the surface of the earth is thinnest. And as the globe is flattened at the poles, it would appear natural that, but Calais is making signs to us," added the lieutenant, breaking off abruptly. Will you join us, Mrs. Barnet? No, thank you. I will stay here until we return to the fort. I don't care to watch the walrus slaughtered. Very well," replied Hobson, only don't forget to join us in an hour's time. Meanwhile you can enjoy the view. The beach was soon reached and some hundred walruses had collected, either waddling about on their clumsy webbed feet, or sleeping in family groups. Some few of the larger males, creatures nearly four feet long, clothed with very short reddish fur, kept guard over the herd. Great caution was required in approaching these formidable looking animals, and the hunters took advantage of every bit of cover afforded by rocks and inequalities of the ground, so as to get within easy range of them and cut off their retreat to the sea. On land these creatures are clumsy and awkward, moving in jerks or with creeping motions like huge caterpillars, but in water their native element, they are nimble and even graceful. Indeed their strength is so great that they have been known to overturn the walrus in pursuit of them. As the hunters drew near, the sentinels took alarm, and raising their heads looked searchingly around them, but before they could warn their companions of danger, Hobson and Calais rushed upon them from one side, the sergeant, Peterson and Hope, from the other, and after lodging a ball in each of their bodies, dispatched them with their spears, whilst the rest of the herd plunged into the sea. The victory was an easy one, the five victims were very large, and their tusks though slightly rough of the best quality. They were chiefly valuable, however, on account of the oil, of which, being in excellent condition, they would yield a high quantity. The bodies were packed in the sledges, and proved no light weight for the dogs. It was now one o'clock, and Mrs. Barnette, having joined them, the party set out on foot, the sledges being full, to return to the fort. There were but ten miles to be traversed, but ten miles in a straight line is a weary journey, proving the truth of the adage. It is a long lane that has no turning. They beguiled the tediousness of the way by chatting pleasantly, and Mrs. Barnette was ready to join in the conversation, or to listen with interest to the accounts the worthy soldiers gave of former adventures. But in spite of the brave struggle against Inu, they advanced but slowly, and the poor dogs found it hard work to drag the heavy laden sledges over the rough ground. Had it been covered with frozen snow, the distance would have been accomplished in a couple of hours. The merciful lieutenant often ordered a halt to give the teams breathing time, and the sergeant remarked that it would be much more convenient for the inhabitants of the fort if the morces would settle a little nearer Cape Bathurst. They could not find a suitable spot, replied the lieutenant, with a melancholy shake of the head. Why not? inquired Mrs. Barnette with some surprise, because they only congregate where the slope of the beach is gradual enough to allow if they're creeping up easily from the sea. Now Cape Bathurst rises abruptly, like a perpendicular wall, from water three hundred fathoms deep. It is possible that ages ago portions of the continent was rent away in some violent volcanic convulsion, and flung into the Arctic Ocean, hence the absence of morces on the beach of our Cape. End of Chapter 15. Part 1, Chapter 16 of the Fur Country. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The Fur Country by Jules Verne. Part 1, Chapter 16. Two Shots. The first half of September passed rapidly away. Had Fort Hope been situated at the pole itself, that is to say twenty degrees further north, the polar night would have set in on the twenty-first of that month, but under the seventieth parallel the sun would be visible above the horizon for another month. Nevertheless the temperature was already decidedly colder. The thermometer fell during the night to thirty-one degrees Fahrenheit, and thin coatings of ice appeared here and there to be dissolved again in the daytime. But the settlers were able to await the coming of winter without alarm. They had a more than sufficient store of provisions. Their supply of dried venison had largely increased. Another score of morces had been killed. The tame reindeer were warmly and comfortably housed, and a huge wooden shed behind the house was filled with fuel. In short, everything was prepared for the polar night. And now, all the wants of the inhabitants of the fort being provided for, it was time to think of the interests of the company. The Arctic creatures had now assumed their winter furs, and were therefore of the greatest value, and Hobson organized shooting parties for the remainder of the fine weather, intending to set traps when the snow should prevent further excursions. They would have plenty to do to satisfy the requirements of the company. For so far north it was no use to depend on the Indians, who were generally the purveyors of the factories. The first expedition was to the haunt of a family of beavers, long since noted by the watchful lieutenant on a tributary of the stream already referred to. It is true the fur of the beaver is not now as valuable as when it was used for hats, and fetched sixteen pounds per kilogram rather more than two pounds. But it still commands a high price, as the animal is becoming very scarce, in consequence of the reckless way in which it had been hunted. When the party reached their destination, their lieutenant called Mrs. Barnette's attention to the great ingenuity displayed by beavers in the construction of their submarine city. There were some hundred animals in the little colony now to be invaded, and they lived together in pairs in the holes or vaults they had hollowed out near the stream. They had already commenced their preparations for the winter, and were hard at work constructing their dams and laying up their piles of wood. A dam of admirable structure had already been built across the stream, which was deep and rapid enough not to freeze far below the surface, even in the severest weather. This dam, which was convex towards the current, consisted of a collection of upright stakes interlaced with branches and roots, the hole being cemented together and rendered watertight with the clayy mud of the river previously pounded by the animal's feet. The beavers used their tails, which are large and flat, with scales instead of hair at the root, for plastering over their buildings and beating the clay into shape. The object of this dam, said the lieutenant to Mrs. Barnette, is to secure the beavers a sufficient depth of water at all seasons of the year and to enable the engineers of the tribe to build the round huts, called lodges or houses, the tops of which you can just see. They are extremely solid structures, and the walls made of stick, clay, roots, etc., are two feet thick. They can only be entered from below the water, and their owners have therefore to dive when they go home, an admirable arrangement for their protection. Each lodge contains two stories. In the lower, the winter stock of branches, bark, and root, is laid up, and the upper is the residence of the householder and his family. There is, however, not a beaver in sight, said Mrs. Barnette. Is this a deserted village? Oh, no! replied the lieutenant. The inhabitants are now all asleep and resting. They only work in the night, and we mean to surprise them in their holes. This was, in fact, easily done, and in an hour's time about a hundred of the ill-fated rodents had been captured, twenty of which were of great value, their fur being black, and therefore especially esteemed. That of the others was also long and glossy, and silky, but of a reddish hue mixed with chestnut brown. Beneath the long fur the beavers have a second coat of close, short hair of a grayish white color. The hunters return to the fort much delighted with the result of their expedition. The beavers' skins were warehoused and labeled as parchments or young beavers according to their value. Excursions of a similar kind were carried on throughout the months of September, and during the first half of October, with equally happy results. A few badgers were taken, the skin being used as an ornament for the collars of draft horses, and the hair for making brushes of every variety. These carnivorous creatures belonged to the bear family, and the specimens obtained by Hobson were of the genus Peculius in North America, sometimes called the taxel badger. Another animal of the rodent family, nearly as industrious as the beaver, largely contributed to the stores of the company. This was the muskrat or muskwash. Its head and body are about a foot long, and its tail ten inches. Its fur is in considerable demand. These creatures, like the rest of their family, multiply with extreme rapidity, and a great number were easily unearthed. In the pursuit of lynxes and wolverines or gluttons, firearms had to be used. The lynx has all the suppleness and agility of the feline tribe to which it belongs, and is formidable even to the reindeer. Marbra and Sabine were, however, well up to their work, and succeeded in killing more than sixty of them. A few wolverines or gluttons were also dispatched. Their fur is reddish-brown, and that of the lynx, light red, with black spots, both are of considerable value. Very few ear-minds or stoats were seen, and Jasper Hobson ordered his men to spare any which happened across their path until the winter, when they should have assumed the beautiful snow-white coats with the one black spa to the tip of the tail. At present the upper fur was reddish-brown, and the under yellowish-white, so that, as Sabine expressed it, it was desirable to let them ripen, or in other words, to wait for the cold to bleach them. Their cousins, the pole-cats, however, which he meant so disagreeable and odour, fell victims in great numbers to the hunters, who either tracked them to their homes in hollow trees, or shot them as they glided through the branches. Martins, properly so-called, were hunted with great zeal. Their fur is in considerable demand, although not so valuable as that of the sable, which becomes a dark lustrous brown in the winter. The latter did not, however, come in the way of our hunters, as it only frequents the north of Europe and Asia, as far as Kampchakta, and is chiefly hunted by the inhabitants of Siberia. They had to be content with the pole-cats and pine-martins called Canada-martins, which frequent the shores of the Arctic Ocean. All the weasels and martins are very difficult to catch. They wriggle their long supple bodies through the smallest apertures with great ease, and thus elude the pursuers. In the winter, however, they are easily taken in traps, and Marbra and Sabine looked forward to make up for the last time then, when, said they, there shall be plenty of their furs in the company's stores. We have now only to mention the Arctic or blue and silver foxes to complete the list of animals which swelled the profits of the Hudson's Bay Company. The furs of these foxes are esteemed in the Russian and English markets above all others, and that of the blue fox is the most valuable of all. This pretty creature has a black muzzle, and the fur is not as one would suppose blue, but whitish-brown. Its great price, six times that of any other kind, arises from its superior softness, thickness, and length. A cloak belonging to the Emperor of Russia, composed entirely of fur from the neck of the blue fox—the fur from the neck is considered better than that from any other part—was shown at the London Exhibition of 1851, and valued at £3400 sterling. Several of these foxes were sighted at Cape Bathurst, but all escaped the hunters, whilst only about a dozen silver foxes fell into their hands. The fur of the latter, of a lustrous black dotted with white, is much sought after in England and Russia, although it does not command so high a price, as that of the foxes mentioned above. One of the silver foxes captured was a splendid creature, with a cool black fur tipped with white at the extreme end of the tail, and with a dash of the same on the forehead. The circumstances attending its death deserve relation and detail, as they proved that Hobson was right in the precautions he had taken. On the morning of the 24th September, two sledges conveyed Mrs. Barnett, the Lieutenant, Sergeant Long, Marbra, and Sabine to Walrus's Bay. Some traces of foxes had been noticed the evening before. Amongst some rocks, clothed with scanty herbage, and the direction taken by the animals, was very clearly indicated. The hunters followed up the trail of a large animal, and were rewarded by bringing down a very fine silver fox. Several other animals of the same species were sighted, and the hunters divided into two parties, Marbra and Sabine going after one foe, and Mrs. Barnett, Hobson and the Sergeant, trying to cut off the retreat of another fine animal hiding behind some rocks. Great caution and some artifice was necessary to deal with this crafty animal, which took care not to expose itself to a shot. The pursuit lasted for half an hour without success, but at last the poor creature, with the sea on one side and with three enemies on the other, had recourse in its desperation to a flying leap, thinking thus to escape with its life. But Hobson was too quick for it, and as it bounded by like a flash of lightning, it was struck by a shot, and to every one's surprise the report of the lieutenant's gun was succeeded by that of another, and a second ball entered the body of the fox, which fell to the ground, mortally wounded. Hurrah! hurrah! cried Hobson. It is mine! And mine! said another voice, and a stranger stepped forward, and placed his foot upon the fox, just as the lieutenant was about to raise it. Hobson drew back in astonishment. He thought the second ball had been fired by the Sergeant, and found himself face to face with a stranger whose gun was still smoking. The rivals gazed at each other in silence. The rest of the party now approached, and the stranger was quickly joined by twelve comrades, four of whom were like himself, Canadian travellers, and eight Chippeway Indians. The leader was a tall man, a fine specimen of his class, those Canadian trappers described in the romances of Washington Irvine, whose competition Hobson's had dreaded with such good reason. He wore the traditional costume ascribed to his fellow-hunters by the great American writer, a blanket loosely arranged about his person, a striped cotton shirt, wide clothed trousers, leather gaiters, deerskin moccasins, and a sash of checked woolen stuff round the waist, from which were suspended his knife, tobacco pouch, pipe, and a few useful tools. Hobson was right. The man before him was a Frenchman, or at least a descendant of the French-Canadian. Perhaps an agent of the American company come to act as a spy on the set-lute in the fort. The other four Canadians wore a costume resembling that of their leader, but of course are materials. The Frenchman bowed politely to Mrs. Barnette, and the lieutenant was the first to break the silence, during which he had not removed his eyes from his rival's face. This box is mine, sir, he said quietly. It is, if you killed it, replied the other in good English, but with a slightly foreign accent. Excuse me, sir, he replied Hobson rather sharply. It is mine, in any case. The stranger smiled, scornfully at this lofty reply. So exactly what he expected from an agent of the Hudson's Bay Company, which claimed supremacy over all the northern districts from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Do you mean to say, he said at last, gracefully toying with his gun, that you consider the Hudson's Bay Company mistress of the whole of North America? Of course I do, said Hobson, and if, as I imagine, you belong to an American company. To the St. Louis Fur Company replied the stranger with a bow. I think, added the lieutenant, that you will find it difficult to show the Grants entitling you to any privileges here. Grants' privileges, cried the Canadians scornfully, old world terms which are out of place in America. You are not now on American, but English ground, replied the lieutenant proudly. There is no time for such a discussion, said the hunter rather warmly. We all know the old claims made by the English in general, and the Hudson's Bay Company in particular, to these hunting grounds. But I expect coming events will soon alter this state of things, and America will be America from the Straits of Magellan to the North Pole. I do not agree with you, replied Hobson dryly. Well, sir, however that may be, said the Canadian, let us suffer this international question to remain in abeyance for the present. Whatever rights the company may erigate to itself, it is very clear that in the extreme north of the continent, and especially on the coast, the territory belongs to whoever occupies it. You have founded a factory on Cape Bathurst, therefore we will respect your domain, and you, on your side, will avoid ours. When the St. Louis fur traders have established their projected fort at another point on the northern shore of America. The lieutenant frowned at this speech, for he well knew what complications would arise in the future when the Hudson's Bay Company would be compelled to struggle for supremacy with powerful rivals, and that quarreling, and even bloodshed would ensue. He could not, however, but acknowledge that this was not the time to begin the discussion, and he was not sorry when the hunter who's manners, to tell the truth, were very polite, placed the dispute on another footing. As for the present matter, said the Canadian, it is of minor importance, and we must settle it according to the rules of the chase. Our guns are of different calibre, and our balls can easily be distinguished, let the fox belong to whichever of us really killed it. The proposition was a fair one, and the body of the victim was examined accordingly. One ball had entered at the side, the other at the heart, and the latter was from the gun of the Canadian. The fox is your property, sir, said Jasper Hobson, vainly endeavouring to conceal his chagrin at seeing this valuable spoil fall into the enemy's hands. The Canadian took it, but instead of throwing it over his shoulder and carrying it off, he turned to Mrs. Barnette and said, Ladies are fond of beautiful furs, and although perhaps if they knew better what dangers and difficulties have to be surmounted in order to obtain them, they might not care so much about them. They are not likely to refuse to wear them on that account, and I hope, madam, you will favour me by accepting this one in remembrance of our meeting. Mrs. Barnette hesitated for a moment, but the gift was offered with so much courtesy and kindliness of manner that it would have seemed churlish to refuse, and she therefore accepted it with many thanks. This little ceremony over, the stranger again bowed politely, and followed by his comrades quickly disappeared behind the rocks, whilst the lieutenant and his party returned to fort good hope. Hobson was very silent and thoughtful all the way, for he could not but feel that the existence of a rival company would greatly compromise the success of his undertaking and lead to many future difficulties. The Fur Country by Jules Verne, Part 1, Chapter 17. THE APPROACH OF WINTER It was the twenty-first of September. The sun was then passing through the autumnal equinox. That is to say, the day and night were of equal length all over the world. These successive alternations of light and darkness were hailed with delight by the inhabitants of the fort. It is easier to sleep in the absence of sun, and darkness refreshens and strengthens the eyes weary with the unchanging brightness of several months of daylight. We know that during the equinox the tides are generally at their greatest height. We have high water or flood, for the sun and moon being in conjection, their double influence is brought to bear upon the waters. It was therefore necessary to note carefully the approaching tide at Cape Bathurst. Jasper Hobson had made benchmarks some days before, so as to estimate exactly the amount of vertical displacement of the waters between high and low tide. He found, however, that in spite of all the reports of previous observers, the combined solar and lunar influence was hardly felt in this part of the Arctic Ocean. There was scarcely any tide at all, and the statements of navigators on the subject were contradicted. There is certainly something unnatural here," said Lieutenant Hobson to himself. He did not, in fact, know what to think, but other cares soon occupied his mind, and he did not long endeavour to get to the rites of this singular peculiarity. On the 29th September the state of the atmosphere changed considerably. The thermometer fell to forty-one degrees Fahrenheit, and the sky became covered with clouds, which were soon converted into heavy rain. The bad season was approaching. Before the ground should be covered with snow, Mrs. Jolief was busy sowing the seeds of cochlearia, scurvy grass, and sorrel, in the hope that as they were very hardy, and would be well protected from the rigor of the winter by this snow itself, they would come up in the spring. Her garden, consisting of several acres hidden behind the cliff of the Cape, had been prepared beforehand, and it was sown during the last days of September. Hobson made his companions assume their winter garments before the great cold set in, and all were soon suitably clothed in the linen under-vests, deerskin cloaks, seal-skin pantaloons, fur bonnets, and waterproof boots with which they were provided. We may also say that the rooms were suitably dressed. The wooden walls were hung with skins in order to prevent the formation upon them of coats of ice in sudden falls of temperature. About this time Ray set up his condensers for collecting the vapor suspended in the air, which were to be emptied twice a week. The heat of the stove was regulated according to the variations of the external temperature, so as to keep the thermometer of the rooms at fifty degrees Fahrenheit. The house would soon be covered with thick snow, which would prevent any waste of the internal warmth, and by this combination of natural and artificial protections, they hoped to be able, successfully to contend with their two most formidable enemies, cold and damp. On the second October the thermometer fell still lower, and the first snow came on. There was but little wind, and there were therefore none of those violent whirlpools of snow called drifts. But a vast white carpet of uniform thickness soon clothed the cape, the encant of fort and the coast. The waters off the lake and sea, not yet petrified by the icy hand of winter, were of a dull, gloomy, grayish hue, and on the northern horizon the first icebergs stood out against the misty sky. The blockade had not yet commenced, but nature was collecting her materials, soon to be cemented by the cold into an impenetrable barrier. The young ice was rapidly forming on the liquid surfaces of sea and lake. The lagoon was the first to freeze over. Large, whitish gray patches appeared here and there, signs of a hard frost setting in, favored by the calmness of the atmosphere. And after a night, during which the thermometer had remained at fifteen degrees Fahrenheit, the surface of the lake was smooth and firm enough to satisfy the most fastidious skaters of the serpentine. On the verge of the horizon the sky assumed that peculiar appearance, which whalers call ice-blink, and which is the result of the glare of light reflected obliquely from the surface of the ice against the opposite atmosphere. Vast tracks of the ocean became gradually solidified. The ice-fields, formed by the accumulation of icicles, became welded to the coast, presenting a surface broken and distorted by the action of the waves, and contrasting strongly with the smooth mirror of the lake. Here and there floated these long pieces, scarcely cemented together at the edges, known as drift-ice, and the hummocks, or protuberances caused by the squeezing of one piece against another, were also of frequent occurrence. In a few days the aspect of Kate Bathurst and the surrounding districts was completely changed. Mrs. Barnett's delight and enthusiasm knew no bounds. Everything was new to her, and she would have thought no fatigue or suffering too great to be insured for the sake of witnessing such a spectacle. She could imagine nothing more sublime than this invasion of winter with all its mighty forces, this conquest of the northern regions by the cold. All trace of the distinctive features of the country had disappeared. The land was metamorphed, a new country was springing into being before her admiring eyes, a country gifted with a grand and touching beauty. Details were lost, only the large outlines were given. Scarcely marked out against the misty sky. One transformation scene followed another with magic rapidity. The ocean, which but lately lifted up its mighty waves, was hushed and still. The verdant soil of various hues was replaced by a carpet of dazzling whiteness. The woods of trees of different kinds were converted into groups of gaunt skeletons draped in whorefrost. The radiant orb of day had become a pale disk, languidly running its allotted course in a thick fog, and visible for but a few hours a day, whilst the sea horizon no longer clearly cut against the sky was hidden by an endless chain of icebergs, broken into countless rugged forms, and building up that impenetrable ice wall which nature has set up between the pole and the bold explorers who endeavour to reach it. We can well understand to how many discussions and conversations the altered appearance of the country gave rise. Thomas Black was the only one who remained indifferent to the sublime beauty of the scene. But what could one expect of an astronomer so wrapped up in his one idea that he might be said to be present in the little colony in the body but absent in spirit? He lived in the contemplation of the heavenly bodies, passing from the examination of one constellation to that of another, roving in imagination through the vast realms of space, peopled by countless radiant orbs, and fuming with rage when fogs or clouds hid the objects of his devotion from his sight. Hobbeson consoled him by promising him fine cold nights, admirably suited to astronomical observations, when he could watch the beautiful aurora borealis, the lunar halos, and other phenomena of polar countries worthy of his admiration. The cold was not at this time too intense, there was no wind, and it was the wind which makes the cold so sharp and biting. Hunting was vigorously carried on for some days. The magazines became stocked with new furs, and fresh stores of provisions were laid up. Partridges and tarmagans, on their way to the south, passed over the fort in great numbers, and supplied fresh and wholesome meat. Polar or arctic hares were plentiful, and had already assumed their white winter robes. About a hundred of these rodents formed a valuable addition to the reserves of the colony. There were also huge flocks of the whistling swan or hooper, one of the finest species of North America. The hunters killed several couples of them, had some birds four or five feet in length, with white plumage, touched with copper color on the head and upper part of the neck. They were on their way to a more hospitable zone, where they could find the aquatic plants and insects they required for food, and they sped through the air at a rapid pace, for it is as much their native element as water. Trompeter swans, with a cry like the shrill tone of a clarion, which are about the same size as the hoopers, but have black feet and beaks, also passed in great numbers, but neither Marbra nor Sabine were fortunate enough to bring down any of them. However, they shouted out, O Roir, in significant tones, for they knew that they would return with the first breezes of spring, and that they could then easily be caught. Their skin, plumage, and down, are all of great value, and they are therefore eagerly hunted. In some favorable years, tens of thousands of them have been exported, fetching half a guinea apiece. During these excursions, which only lasted for a few hours, and were often interrupted by bad weather, packs of wolves were often met with. There was no need to go far to find them, for, rendered bold by hunger, they already ventured close to the factory. Their scent is very keen, and they were attracted by the smell from the kitchen. During the night they could be heard howling in a threatening manner. Although not dangerous individually, these carnivorous beasts are formidable in packs, and the hunters therefore took care to be well armed when they went out beyond the encant of the fort. The bears were still more aggressive, not a day past, without several of these animals being seen. At night they would come close to the enclosure, and some were even wounded with shot, but got off, standing the snow with their blood, so that up to October 10th not one had left its warm and valuable fur in the hands of the hunters. Hobson would not have molested them, rightly judging that with such formidable creatures it was best to remain on the defensive, and it was not improbable that, urged on by hunger, they might attack Fort Hope before long. Then the little colony could defend itself, and provision its stores at the same time. For a few days the weather continued dry and cold. The surface of the snow was firm and suitable for walking, so that a few excursions were made, without difficulty, along the coast on the south of the fort. The lieutenant was anxious to ascertain if the agents of the St. Louis Fur Company had left the country. No traces were, however, found of their return march, and it was therefore concluded that they had gone down to some southern fort to pass the winter by another route. The few fine days were soon over, and in the first week of November the wind veered round to the south, making the temperature warmer it is too, but also bringing heavy snowstorms. The ground was soon covered with a soft cushion, several feet thick, which had to be cleared away round the house every day, whilst a lane was made through it, to the posture, the shed, and the stable of the dogs and reindeer. Excursions became more and more rare, and it was impossible to walk without snowshoes. When the snow has become hardened by frost it easily sustains the weight of a man, but when it is soft and yielding, and the unfortunate pedestrian sinks into it to his knees the snowshoes used by Indians are invaluable. Lieutenant Tobson and his companions were quite accustomed to walk in them, and could glide about over the snow as rapidly as skaters on ice. Mrs. Barnett had early practiced wearing them, and was quite as expert in their use as the rest of the party. The frozen lake as well as the coast were scoured by these indefatigable explorers, who were even able to advance several miles from the shore on the solid surface of the ocean, now covered with ice several feet thick. It was, however, very tiring work, for the ice fields were rugged and uneven, strewn with piled-up ridges of ice and hummocks, which had to be turned. Further out a chain of icebergs, some five hundred feet high, barred their progress. These mighty icebergs, broken into fantastic and picturesque forms, were a truly magnificent spectacle. Here they looked like the whitened ruins of a town, with curtains battered in, and monuments and columns overthrown. There, like some volcanic land, torn and convulsed by earthquakes and eruptions, a confusion of glaciers and glittering ice-peaks with snowy ramparts and buttresses, valleys and crevices, mountains and hillocks, tossed and distorted like the famous Alps of Switzerland. A few scattered birds, petrels, guillemots and puffins, lingering behind their fellows, still enlivened the vast solitude with their piercing cries. Huge white bears roamed about amongst the humocks, their dazzling coats, scarcely distinguishable from the shining ice. Truly there was enough to interest and excite our adventurous lady-traveller, and even Maj, the faithful Maj, shared the enthusiasm of her mistress, how far, how very far, were both from the tropic zones of India or Australia. The frozen ocean was firm enough to have allowed, of the passage of a park of artillery, or their erection of a monument, and many were the excursions on its surface until the sudden lowering of the temperature rendered all exertion so exhausting that they had to be discontinued. The pedestrians were out of breath after taking a few steps, and that dazzling whiteness of the glittering snow could not be endured by the naked eye. Indeed, the reverberation or flickering glare of the undulatory reflection of a light from the surface of the snow has been known to cause several cases of blindness amongst the Eskimo. A singular phenomenon, due to the refraction of rays of light, was now observed. Distances, depths, and heights lost their true proportions. Five or six yards of ice looked like two, and many were the falls and ludicrous results of this optical illusion. On October 14th the thermometer marked three degrees Fahrenheit below zero, a severe temperature to endure, especially when the north wind blows strongly. The air seemed to be made of needles, and those who ventured out of the house were in great danger of being frostbitten. When death or mortification would ensue, if the suspended circulation of the blood were not restored by immediate friction with snow, Gary, Belche, Hope, and other members of the little community were attacked by frostbite, but the parts affected, being rubbed in time, they escaped without serious injury. It will be readily understood that all manual labour had now become impossible. The days were extremely short. The sun was only above the horizon for a few hours, and the actual winter, implying entire confinement within doors, was about to commence. The last arctic birds forsook the gloomy shores of the polar seas. Only a few pairs of those speckled quails remained, which the Indians appropriately call winter birds, because they wait in the arctic regions until the commencement of the polar night, but they too were soon to take their departure. Lieutenant Hobbs, and therefore, urged on the setting of the traps and snares, which were to remain in different parts of Cape Bathurst throughout the winter. These traps consisted merely of rough joists, supported on a square, formed of three pieces of wood, so balanced as to fall, on the least touch, in fact, the same sort of trap as that used for snaring birds in fields, on a large scale. The end of the horizontal piece of wood was baited with venison, and every animal of a moderate height, a fox or a martin, for instance, when touched it with its paw, could not fail to be crushed. Such were the traps set in winter over a space of several miles by the famous hunters whose adventurous life has been so poetically described by Cooper. Some thirty of these snares were set to round Fort Hope, and were to be visited at pretty frequent intervals. On the 12th of November a new member was born to the little colony. Mrs. McNabb was safely confined of a fine healthy boy, of whom the head carpenter was extremely proud. Mrs. Barnett stood godmother to the child, which received the name of Michael Hope. The ceremony of baptism was performed with considerable solemnity, and a kind of fet was held in honour of the little creature which had just come into the world beyond the 70th degree north latitude. A few days afterwards, on November 20th, the sun sank below the horizon, not to appear again for two months. The polar night had commenced. END OF CHAPTER XVIII The long night was ushered in by a violent storm. The cold was perhaps a little less severe, but the air was very damp, and in spite of every precaution the humidity penetrated into the house, and the condensers, which were emptied every morning, contained several pounds of ice. Outside drifts, world passed like waterspouts, the snow seemed no longer to fall horizontally but vertically. The lieutenant was obliged to insist upon the door being kept shut, for had it been opened the passages would immediately have become blocked up. The explorers were literally prisoners. The window shutters were hermetically closed, and the lamps were kept burning through the long hours of the sleepless night. But although darkness reigned without, the noise of the tempest replaced the silence usually so complete in these high latitudes. The roaring of the wind between the house and the cliff never ceased for a moment. The house trembled to its foundations, and had it not been for the solidity of its construction must have succumbed to the violence of the hurricane. Fortunately the accumulation of snow round the walls broke the force of the squall, and McNabb's only fear was for the chimneys, which were liable to be blown over. However, they remained firm, although they had constantly to be freed from snow which blocked up the openings. In the midst of the whistling of the wind, loud reports were heard of which Mrs. Barnett could not conjecture the cause. It was the falling of icebergs in the offing. The echoes caught up the sounds which were rolled along like the reverberations of thunder. The ground shook as the ice fields split open, crushed by the falling of these mighty mountains, and none but those thoroughly enured to the horrors of these wild rugged climates could witness these strange phenomena without a shutter. Lieutenant Hobbson and his companions were accustomed to all these things, and Mrs. Barnett and Maj were gradually becoming so, and were, besides, not altogether unfamiliar with those terrible winds which move at the rate of forty miles an hour, and overturn twenty-four pounders. Here, however, the darkness and the snow aggravated the dread might of the storm. That which was not crushed was buried and smothered, and probably twelve hours after the commencement of the tempest, house, kennel, shed, and encant, would have disappeared beneath a bed of snow of uniform thickness. The time was not wasted during this long imprisonment. All these good people agreed together perfectly, and neither ill-humour nor innuent marred the contentment of the little party shut up in such a narrow space. They were used to life under similar conditions at Fort's Enterprise and Reliance, and there was nothing to excite Mrs. Barnett's surprise in their ready accommodation of themselves to circumstances. Part of the day was occupied with work, part with reading and games, garments had to be made and mended, arms to be kept bright and in good repair, boots to be manufactured, and the daily journal to be issued in which Lieutenant Hobbson recorded the slightest events of this northern wintering, the weather, the temperature, the direction of the wind, the appearance of meteors so frequent in the polar regions, et cetera, et cetera. Then the house had to be kept in order, the rooms must be swept and the stores of furs must be visited every day to see if they were free from damp. The fires and stoves, too, required constant superintendence, and perpetual vigilance was necessary to prevent the accumulation of particles of moisture in the corners. To each one was aside a task. The duty of each one was laid down in rules, fixed up in the large room, so that without being overworked the occupants of the fort were never without something to do. Thomas Black screwed and unscrewed his instruments, and looked over his astronomical calculations, remaining almost always shut up in his cabin, fretting and fuming at the storm which prevented him from making nocturnal observations. The three married women had also plenty to see to. Mrs. McNab busied herself with her baby, who got on wonderfully, whilst Mrs. Jolive assisted by Mrs. Ray, and with the corporal, always at her heels, presided in the kitchen. When work was done the entire party assembled in the large room, spending the whole of Sunday together. Reading was the chief amusement. The Bible and some books of travel were the whole library of the fort, but they were all the good folks required. Mrs. Burnett generally read aloud, and her audience listened with delight. The Bible and accounts of adventures received a fresh charm when read out in her clear earnest voice. Her gestures were so expressive that imaginary persons seemed to live when she spoke of them, and all were glad when she took up the book. She was, in fact, the life and soul of the little community, eager alike to give and receive instruction. She combined the charm and grace of a woman with the energy of a man, and she consequently became the idol of the rough soldiers who would have willingly laid down their lives in her service. Mrs. Burnett shared everything with her companions, never holding herself aloof or remaining shut up in her cabin, but working zealously amongst the others, drying out the most reticent by her intelligent questions and warm sympathy. Good humour and good health prevailed throughout the little community, and neither bands nor tongues were idle. The storm, however, showed no signs of abating. The party had now been confined to the house for three days, and the snowdrifts were as wild and furious as ever. Lieutenant Tobbson began to get anxious. It was becoming imperatively necessary to renew the air of the rooms, which was too much charged with carbonic acid. The light of the lamps began to pale in the unhealthy atmosphere, and the air pumps would not act, the pipes being choked up with ice. They were not, in fact, intended to be used when the house was buried in snow. It was necessary to take counsel. The Lieutenant and Sergeant Long put their heads together, and it was decided on November 23 that, as the wind beat with rather less violence on the front of the house, one of the windows at the end of the passage on that side should be opened. This was no light matter. It was easy enough to open the window from inside, but the shutter outside was encrusted over with thick lumps of ice, and resisted every effort to move it. It had to be taken off its hinges, and the hard mass of snow was then attacked with pickaxe and shovel. It was at least ten feet thick, and it was not until a kind of channel had been scooped out that the outer air was admitted. Hobson, the Sergeant, several soldiers and Mrs. Barnett herself ventured to creep through this tunnel, or channel, but not without considerable difficulty, for the wind rushed in with fearful fury. What a scene was presented by Kate Bathurst and the surrounding plain. It was midday, and but a few faint twilight rays glimmered upon the southern horizon. The cold was not so intense as one would have supposed, and the thermometer marked only fifteen degrees Fahrenheit above zero. But the snow drifts whirled along with terrific force, and all would inevitably have been thrown to the ground, and not the snow in which they were standing, up to their waists, helped to sustain them against the gusts of wind. Everything around them was white. The walls of the encant and the whole of the house, even to the roof, were completely covered over, and nothing but a few blue wreaths of smoke would have betrayed the existence of a human habitation to a stranger. Under the circumstances the promenade was soon over, but Mrs. Barnett had made good use of her time, and would never forget the awful beauty of the polar regions in a snowstorm, a beauty upon which few women had been privileged to look. A few moments suffice to renew the atmosphere of the house, and all unhealthy vapours were quickly dispersed by the introduction of a pure and refreshing current of air. The lieutenant and his companions hurried in, and the window was again closed, but after that the snow before it was removed every day for the sake of ventilation. The entire week passed in a similar manner. Fortunately the reindeer and dogs had plenty of food, so that there was no need to visit them. The eight days during which the occupants of the fort were imprisoned so closely could not fail to be somewhat irksome to strong men, soldiers and hunters, accustomed to plenty of exercise in the open air, and we must own that listening to reading aloud gradually lost its charm, and even cribbage became uninteresting. The last thought at night was a hope that the tempest might have ceased in the morning, a hope disappointed every day. Fresh snow constantly accumulated upon the windows, the wind roared, the icebergs burst with a crash like thunder, the smoke was forced back into the rooms, and there was no sign of a diminution of the fury of the storm. At last, however, on the twenty-eighth November the aneroid barometer in the large room gave notice of an approaching change in the state of the atmosphere. It rose rapidly whilst the thermometer outside fell almost suddenly to less than four degrees below zero. These were symptoms which could not be mistaken, and on the twenty-ninth November the silence all around the fort told that the tempest had ceased. Everyone was eager to get out. The confinement had lasted long enough. The door could not be opened, and all had to get through the window and clear away the fresh accumulation of snow. This time, however, it was no soft mass they had to remove but compact blocks of ice which required pickaxes to break them up. It took about half an hour to clear a passage, and then everyone in the fort, except Mrs. McNabb, who was not up yet, hastened into the interior court, glad once more to be able to walk about. The cold was still intense, but the wind, having gone down, it was possible to endure it, although great care was necessary to escape serious consequences on leaving the heated rooms for the open air, the difference between the temperature inside and outside being some fifty-four degrees. It was eight o'clock in the morning. Myriads of brilliant constellations studded the sky, and at the zenith shone the pole-star. Although in both hemispheres there are in reality but five thousand fixed stars visible to the naked eye, their number appeared to the observers incalculable. Exclamations of admiration burst involuntarily from the lips of the delighted astronomer as he gazed into the cloudless heavens, once more undimmed by mists or vapours. Never had a more beautiful sky been spread out before the eyes of an astronomer. While Thomas Black was raving in ecstasy, dead to all terrestrial matters, his companions had wandered as far as the incant. The snow was as hard as a rock, and so slippery that there were a good many tumbles, but no serious injuries. It is needless to state that the court of the fort was completely filled up. The roof of the house alone appeared above the white mass, the surface of which had been worn smooth by the action of the wind. Of the palisade nothing was visible but the top of the stakes, and the least nimble of the wild animals they dreaded could easily have climbed over them. But what was to be done? It was no use to think of clearing away a mass of frozen snow, ten feet thick, extending over so large an extent of ground. All they could attempt would be to dig away the ice inside the incant, so as to form a kind of moat, the counterscarp of which would protect the palisade. But alas! the winter was only beginning, and a fresh tempest might at any time fill in the ditch in a few hours. Whilst the lieutenant was examining the works, which could no more protect his fort than a single sunbeam could melt the solid layer of snow, Mrs. Relieve suddenly exclaimed, and our dogs, our reindeer! It was indeed time to think about the poor animals. The dog-house and stable, being lower than the house, were probably entirely covered. The supply of air had perhaps been completely cut off. Some hurried to the dog-house, others to the reindeer stable, and all fears were quickly dispelled. The wall of ice, which connected the northern corner of the house with the cliff, had partly protected the two buildings, and the snow round them was not more than four feet thick, so that the apertures left in the walls had not been closed up. The animals were all well, and when the door was open the dogs rushed out, barking with delight. The cold was so intense that after an hour's walk, everyone began to think of the glowing stove in the large room at home. There was nothing left to be done outside. The traps, buried beneath ten feet of snow, could not be visited, so all returned to the house. The window was closed, and the party sat down to the dinner, awaiting them with sharpened appetites. We can readily imagine that the conversation turned on the intensity of the cold, which had so rapidly converted the soft snow into a solid mass. It was no light matter, and might to a certain extent compromise the safety of the little colony. But, Lieutenant, said Mrs. Barnett, can we not count upon a few days' thaw, will not all this snow be rapidly converted into water? Oh no, madam, replied Hobson, a thaw at this time of year is not at all likely. Indeed, I expect the thermometer will fall still lower, and it is very much to be regretted that we were unable to remove the snow when it was soft. What, you think the temperature likely to become much colder? I do most certainly, madam, four degrees below zero. What is that in this latitude? What would it be if we were at the pole itself? The pole, madam, is probably not the coldest point of the globe, for most navigators agree that the sea is there open. From certain peculiarities of its geographical position it would appear that a certain spot on the shores, north of Georgia, ninety-five degree longitude, and seventy-eight degree latitude, has the coldest mean temperature in the world, two degrees below zero, all the year round. It is, therefore, called the pole of cold. But, said Mrs. Barnett, we are more than eight degrees further south than that famous point. Well, I don't suppose we shall suffer as much at Cape Bathurst as we might have done in north Georgia. I only tell you of the pole of cold, that you may not confound it with the pole properly so-called when the lowness of the temperature is discussed. Great cold has besides been experienced on other points of the globe. The difference is that the low temperature is not there maintained. To what places do you elude? inquired Mrs. Barnett. I assure you I take the greatest interest in this matter of degrees of cold. As far as I can remember, madam, replied the Lieutenant Arctic Explorers, state that at Melville Island the temperature fell to sixty-one degrees below zero, and at Port Felix to sixty-five degrees. But Melville Island and Port Felix are some degrees further north latitude than Cape Bathurst, are they not? Yes, madam, but in a certain sense we may say that their latitude proves nothing. A combination of different atmospheric conditions is requisite to produce intense cold. Local and other causes largely modify climate. If I remember rightly, in eighteen forty-five, Sergeant Long, you were at Fort Reliance at that date? Yes, sir, replied Long. Well, was it not in January of that year that the cold was so excessive? Yes, it was. I remember only too well. The thermometer marked seventy degrees below zero. What? exclaimed Mrs. Barnett, at Fort Reliance on the Great Slave Lake? Yes, madam, replied the Lieutenant, and that was at sixty-five degrees north latitude only, which is the same parallel as that of Christianity and St. Petersburg. Then we must be prepared for everything. Yes, indeed, we must when we winter in arctic countries. During the twenty-ninth and thirtieth November the cold did not decrease, and it was necessary to keep up huge fires to prevent the freezing in all the corners of the house, of the moisture in the atmosphere. Fortunately there was plenty of fuel, and it was not spared. A mean temperature of fifty-two degrees Fahrenheit was maintained indoors in spite of the intensity of the cold without. Thomas Black was so anxious to take stellar observations, now that the sky was so clear, that he braved the rigor of the outside temperature, hoping to be able to examine some of the magnificent constellations twinkling on the zenith. But he was compelled to desist. His instruments burnt his hands. Burnt is the only word to express the sensation produced by touching a metallic body subjected to the influence of intense cold. Exactly similar results are produced by the sudden introduction of heat into an animate body, and the sudden withdrawal of the same from it, as the astronomer found to his cost when he left the skin of his fingers on his instruments. He had to give up taking observations. However the heavens made him the best amends in their power by displaying the most beautiful and indescribable phenomena of a lunar halo and an aurora borealis. The lunar halo was a white corona with a pale red edge encircling the moon. This luminous meteor was about forty-five degrees in diameter, and was the result of the diffraction of the lunar rays through the small prismatic ice crystals floating in the atmosphere. The queen of the night shone with renewed splendor and heightened beauty from the center of the luminous ring. The color and consistency of which resembled the milky transparent lunar rainbows which have been so often described by astronomers. Fifteen hours later the heavens were lit up by a magnificent aurora borealis, the arch of which extended over more than a hundred geographical degrees. The vertex of this arch was situated in the magnetic meridian, and as is often the case the rays darted by the luminous meteor were of all colors of the rainbow, red predominating. Here and there the stars seemed to be floating in blood, glowing lines of throbbing color spread from the dark segment on the horizon, some of them passing the zenith and quenching the light of the moon in their electric waves which oscillated and trembled as if swept by a current of air. No description could give an adequate idea of the glory which flushed the northern sky, converting it into a vast dome of fire. But after the magnificent spectacle had been enjoyed for about half an hour it suddenly disappeared, not fading gradually away after concentration of its rays or a diminution of its splendor, but dying abruptly as if an invisible hand had cut off the supply of electricity which gave it life. It was time it was over, for the sake of Thomas Black, for in another five minutes he would have been frozen where he stood. End of Chapter 18 Part 1 Chapter 19 of The Fur Country This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. The Fur Country by Jules Verne Part 1 Chapter 19 A Neighborly Visit On the 2nd December the intensity of the cold decreased. The phenomena of the lunar halo and aurora borealis were symptoms which a meteorologist would have been at no loss to interpret. They implied the existence of a certain quantity of watery vapor in the atmosphere and the barometer fell slightly whilst the thermometer rose to fifteen degrees above zero. Although this temperature would have seemed very cold to the inhabitants of a temperate zone it was easily endured by the colonists. The absence of wind made a great difference and Hobson having noticed that the upper layers of snow were becoming softer ordered his men to clear it away from the outer approaches of the encant. McNabb and his subordinates set to work zealously and completed their task in a few days. The traps were now uncovered and reset. A good many footprints showed that there were plenty of furred animals about the cape and as they could not get any other food it was probable that the bait in the snares would soon attract them. In accordance with the advice of Marbra the Hunter a reindeer trap was constructed that is the Eskimo style. A trench was dug twelve feet deep and of a uniform width of ten feet. A seesaw plank which would rebound when lowered was laid across it. A bait of herbs was placed at one end of the plank and any animal venturing to take them was inevitably flung to the bottom of the pit and the plank immediately returning to its former position would allow of the trapping of another animal in the same manner. Once in there was no getting out. The only difficulty Marbra had to contend with in making his trap was the extreme hardness of the ground to be dug out. Both he and the lieutenant were not a little surprised at finding beneath some five feet of earth and sand a bed of snow as hard as rock which appeared to be very thick. After closely examining the geological structure of the ground Hobson observed. This part of the coast must have been subject to intense cold for a considerable length of time a great many years ago. Probably the ice rests on a bed of granite and the earth and sand upon it have accumulated gradually. While sir our trap won't be any the worse for that the reindeer will find a slippery wall which will be impossible for them to climb. Marbra was right as the event proved. On the 5th September he and Sabine were on their way to the trench. When they heard loud growls they stood still and listened. It's no reindeer making that noise said Marbra. I know well enough what creature has fallen into our pit. A bear replied Sabine. Yes, said Marbra, whose eyes glistened with delight. Well, remarked Sabine, we won't grumble at that. Bear's stakes are as good as reindeer's and we get the fur in. Come along. The two hunters were armed. They quickly slipped balls into their guns which were already loaded with lead and hurried to the trap. The seesaw plank had swung back into its place but the bait had disappeared having probably been dragged down into the trench. The growls became louder and fiercer and looking down the hunters saw that it was indeed a bear they had taken. A huge mass was huddled together in one corner of the pit looking in the gloom like a pile of white fur with two glittering eyes. The sides of the trench had been plowed up by the creature's sharp claws and had they been of earth instead of ice it would certainly have managed to scramble out but it could get no hold on the slippery surface and it had only managed to enlarge its prison. Not to escape from it. Under the circumstances the capture was easy. Two balls carefully aimed put an end to the bear's life and the next thing to do was to get it out of the pit. The two hunters returned to the fort for reinforcements and ten of the soldiers provided with ropes returned with them. It was not without considerable difficulty that the body was hauled up. It was a huge creature six feet long weighing six hundred pounds and must have possessed immense strength. It belonged to the suborder of white bears and had the flattened head, long neck, short and slightly curved claws, narrow muzzle and smooth white fur characteristic of the species. The edible portions of this valuable animal were confided to Mrs. Jolieff and in her care carefully prepared for the table. The next week the traps were in full activity. Some twenty merchants were taken in all the beauty of their winter clothing but only two or three foxes. These cunning creatures devigned the snare laid for them and scratching up the ground near the trap they often managed to run off with the bait without being caught. This made Sabine beside himself with rage, he said. Such subterfuse was unworthy of a respectable fox. About the tenth December, the wind having veered round to the south-west, the snow again began to fall but not in thick flakes or in large quantities. The wind, being high however, the cold was severely felt and it was necessary to settle indoors again and resume domestic occupations. Hobbeson distributed lime lozenges and lime juice to every one as a precaution against the scorbic affections which damp cold produces. No symptoms of scurvy had fortunately as yet appeared amongst the occupants of the fort, thanks to the sanitary precautions taken. The winter solstice was now approaching when the darkness of the polar night would be most profound as the sun would be at its lowest maximum point below the horizon of the northern hemisphere. At midnight the southern edges of the long white plains were touched with a faint glimmer of twilight. That was all and it would be impossible to imagine anything more melancholy than the gloomy stillness and darkness of the vast expanse. Hobbeson felt more secure from the attacks of wild beasts, now that the approaches to the encant had been cleared of snow, which was a fortunate circumstance as ominous growlings were heard, the nature of which no one could mistake. There was no fear of visits from Indian hunters or Canadians at this time of year, but an incident occurred proving that these districts were not altogether depopulated, even in the winter, and which was quite an episode in the long dreary dark months. Some human beings still lingered on the coast, hunting morces and camping under the snow. They belonged to the race of Eskimo, or eaters of raw flesh, which is scattered over the continent of North America, from Baffins Bay to Bering Strait, seldom, however, advancing further south than the Great Slave Lake. On the morning of the fourteenth December, or rather nine hours before mid-day, Sergeant Long, on his return from an excursion along the coast, ended his report to the lieutenant by saying that if his eyes had not deceived him, a tribe of nomads were encamped about four miles from the fort, near a little cave, jutting out from the coast. What do you suppose these nomads are, inquired Hobson? Either men or morces, replied the Sergeant, there is no medium. The brave Sergeant would have been considerably surprised if anyone had told him that some naturalists admit the existence of the medium. The idea which he scouted, and certain savants have with some humor, classed the Eskimos as an intermediate species between Roan and the Seacow. Lieutenant Hobson, Mrs. Barnett, Maj. and a few others at once, went to ascertain the truth of the report. Well wrapped up, and on their guard against a sudden chill, their feet cased in fur boots, and guns and hatchets in their hands, they issued from the postern, and made their way over the frozen snow along the coast, strewn with masses of ice. The moon, already in her last quarter, shed a few faint rays through the mists which shrouded the ice-fields. After marching for about an hour, the Lieutenant began to think that the Sergeant had been mistaken, and that what he had seen were morces, who had returned to their native element through the holes in the ice, which they always keep open. But long, pointing to a gray wreath of smoke, curling out of a conical protubance on the ice-field, some hundred steps off, contented himself with observing quietly. The morces are smoking then? As he spoke, some living creatures came out of the hut, dragging themselves along the snow. They were Eskimo. But whether male or female, none but a native, could have said, for their costumes were all exactly alike. Indeed, without in the least sharing the opinion of the naturalist quoted above, any one might have mistaken the rough shaggy figures for seals, or some other amphibious animals. There were six of them, four full-grown and two children. Although very short, they were broad-chested and muscular. They had the flat noses, long eyelashes, large mouths, thick lips, long black coarse hair, and beardless chins of their race. Their costume consisted of a round coat made of the skins of walrus, a hood, boots, trousers, and mittens of the same material. They gazed at the Europeans in silence. Does any one understand Eskimo? inquired the lieutenant. No one was acquainted with that idiom, and every one started, when a voice immediately exclaimed in English, Welcome, welcome! it was in Eskimo, and, as they learned later, a woman, who, approaching Mrs. Barnette, held out her hand. The lady, much surprised, replied in a few words, which the native girl readily understood, and the whole family was invited to follow the Europeans to the fort. The Eskimo looked searchingly at the strangers, and after a few moments' hesitation they accompanied the lieutenant, keeping close together, however. Arrived at the encant, the native woman, seeing the house, of the existence of which she had had no idea, exclaimed, House, snow house! She asked if it were made of snow, which was a natural question enough, for the house was all but hidden beneath the white mass which covered the ground. She was made to understand that it was built of wood. She then turned and said a few words to her companions, who made signs of acquiescence, and they all passed through the postern, and were taken to the large room in the chief building. They removed their hoods, and it became possible to distinguish sexes. There were two men, about forty or fifty years old, with yellowish-red complexions, sharp teeth and projecting cheekbones, which gave them something of the appearance of carnivorous animals. Two women, still young, whose matted hair was adorned with the teeth and claws of polar bears, and two children, about five or six years old, poor little creatures with intelligent faces, who looked about them with wide, wondering eyes. I believe the Eskimo are always hungry, said Hobson, so I don't suppose our guests would object to a slice of venison. In obedience to the lieutenant's order, Jolif brought some reindeer venison, which the poor creatures devoured with greedy avidity, but the young woman, who had answered in English, behaved with greater refinement, and watched Mrs. Barnette and the women of the fort without once removing her eyes from them. Presently, noticing the baby in Mrs. McNabb's arms, she rose up and ran to it, speaking to it in a soft voice, and caressing it tenderly. Indeed, if not exactly superior, the young girl was certainly more civilized than her companions, which was especially noticeable when, being attacked by a slight fit of coughing, she put her hand before her mouth, in the manner enjoined by the first rules of civilized society. This significant gesture did not escape any one, and Mrs. Barnette, who chatted for some time with the Eskimo woman, learned from her, in a few short sentences, that she had been for a year in the service of the Danish governor of Upper Navik, whose wife was English, and that she had left Greenland to follow her family to the hunting grounds. The two men were her brothers. The other woman was her sister-in-law, married to one of the men and mother of the two children. They were all returning from Melbourne Island, on the eastern coast of English America, and were making for Point Barrow, on the western coast of Russian America, the home of their tribe, and were considerably astonished to find a factory established on Cape Bathurst. Indeed, the two men shook their heads when they spoke of it. Did they disapprove of the construction of a fort, at this particular point of the coast? Did they think the situation ill-chosen? In spite of all his endeavours, Hobbeson could get no satisfactory reply to these questions, or rather he could not understand the answers he received. The name of the young girl was Kalumaha, and she seemed to have taken a great fancy to Mrs. Barnette. But sociable as she was, she appeared to feel no regret at having left the Governor of Upper Navick, and to be sincerely attached to her relations. After refreshing themselves with the reindeer venison, and drinking half a pint of rum, in which the children had their share, the Eskimo took leave of their hosts, but before saying good-bye, the young girl invited Mrs. Barnette to visit their snow hut, and the lady promised to do so the next day, weather permitting. The next day was fine, and accompanied by Maj, Lieutenant Hobbeson, and a few soldiers, well-armed in case any bears should be prowling about. Mrs. Barnette set out for Cape Eskimo, as they had named the spot where the little colony had encamped. Kalumaha hastened forward to meet her friend of yesterday, and pointed to the hut with an air of pride. It was a large cone of snow, with an opening in the summit, through which the smoke from the fire inside made its way. These snow houses, called igloos in the language of the Eskimo, are constructed with great rapidity, and are admirably suited to the climate. In them their owners can endure a temperature forty degrees below zero, without fires, and without suffering much. In the summer the Eskimo ain't camp intense, made of seal and reindeer skin, which are called chupics. It was no easy matter to get into this hut. The only opening was a hole, close to the ground, and it was necessary to creep through a kind of passage, three or four feet long, which is about the thickness of the walls of these snow houses. But a traveller, by profession, a laureate of the Royal Society, could not hesitate, and Mrs. Polina Barnette did not hesitate. Followed by Madge, she bravely entered the narrow tunnel, in imitation of her guide. Lieutenant Tobson and his men dispensed with pain the respects inside. And Mrs. Barnette soon discovered that the chief difficulty was not getting into the hut, but remaining in it when there. The room was heated by a fire, of which the bones of morses were burning, and the air was full of the smell of the fetid oil of a lamp, of greasy garments, and the flesh of the amphibious animals, which formed the chief article of an Eskimo's diet. It was suffocating and sickening. Madge could not stand it, and hurried out at once. But Mrs. Barnette, rather than hurt the feelings of the young native, showed superhuman courage, and extended her visit over five long minutes, five centuries. The two children and their mother were at home, but the men had gone to hunt morses four or five miles from their camp. Once out of the hut Mrs. Barnette drew a long sire for leaf, and the color returned to her blanched cheeks. Well, madam, inquired the Lieutenant, what do you think of Eskimo houses? The ventilation leaves something to be desired, she replied simply. The interesting native family remained in camp near Cape Eskimo for eight days. The men passed twelve hours out of every twenty-four hunting morses, with the patience which none but sportsmen could understand. They would watch for the amphibious animals near the holes through which they come up to the surface of the ice fields to breathe. When the morse appears, a rope with a running noose is flung round its body a little below the head, and it is dragged on to the ice field, often with considerable difficulty, and killed with hatchets. It is really more like fishing than hunting. It is considered a great treat to drink the warm blood of the walrus, and the Eskimo often indulge in it to excess. Kalumaha came to the fort every day in spite of the severity of the weather. She was never tired of going through the different rooms and watching Mrs. Jolif at her cooking or sewing. She asked the English name of everything, and talked for hours together with Mrs. Barnett, if the term talking, can be applied to an exchange of words after long deliberation on both sides. When Mrs. Barnett read aloud, Kalumaha listened with great attention, although she probably understood nothing of what she heard. The young native girl had a sweet voice, and sometimes sang some strange melancholy, rhythmical songs with a peculiar meter, and, if we may so express it, a frosty ring about them, peculiarly characteristic of their origin. Mrs. Barnett had the patience to translate one of these Greenland sagas, which was sung to a sad air, interspersed with long pauses, and filled with strange intervals, which produced an indescribable effect. We give an English rendering of Mrs. Barnett's translation, which may give a faint idea of this strange hyperborean poetry. Greenland Song On the 20th December, the Eskimo family came to take leave of the occupants of the fort. Kalumaha, with the help of the Eskimo family, came to take leave of the occupants of the fort. On the 20th December the Eskimo family came to take leave of the occupants of the fort. Kalumaha was sorry to part with Mrs. Barnett, who would gladly have retained her in her service, but the young native could not be persuaded to leave her own people. She promised, however, to return to Fort Hope in the summer. Her farewell was touching. She presented Mrs. Barnett with a copper ring, and received in exchange a necklace of black beads, which she immediately put on. Hobson gave the poor people a good stock of provisions, which they packed in their sledge, and after a few words of grateful acknowledgement from Kalumaha, the whole party set out towards the west, quickly disappearing in the thick fogs on the shore. End of chapter 19. Part 1, Chapter 20 of the Fur Country. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The Fur Country by Jules Verne. Part 1, Chapter 20. Mercury freezes. A few days of dry, calm weather favoured the operations of the hunters, but they did not venture far from the fort. The abundance of game rendered it unnecessary to do so, and Lieutenant Hobson could justly congratulate himself on having chosen so favourable a situation for the new settlement. A great number of furred animals of all kinds were taken in the traps, and Sabine and Marbra killed a good many polar hares. Some twenty starving wolves were shot. Hunger rendered the latter animals aggressive, and bands of them gathered about the fort, filling the air with horse howls, and amongst the humox on the ice fields, sometimes proud, huge bears, whose movements were watched with great interest. On the twenty-fifth December all excursions had a gain to be given up. The wind veered suddenly to the north, and the cold became exceedingly severe. It was impossible to remain out of doors without being frostbitten. The Fahrenheit thermometer fell to eighteen degrees below zero, and the gale roared like a volley of musketry. Hobson took care to provide the animals with food enough to last several weeks. Christmas Day, the day of home gatherings so dear to the heart of all Englishmen, was kept with due solemnity. The colonists returned thanks to God for preserving them through so many perils, and the workmen who had a holiday in honour of the day afterwards assembled with their masters and the ladies round a well-filled board on which figured two huge Christmas puddings. In the evening a huge bowl of punch flamed in the centre of the table. The lamps were put out, and for a time the room was lighted only by the livid flames of the spirit, the familiar objects assuming strange fantastic forms. The spirits of the soldiers rose as they watched the flickering illumination, and their excitement was not lessened after imbibing some of the burning liquid. But now the flames began to pale, bluish tongues still fitfully licked the plump sides of the national pudding for a few minutes, and then died away. Strange to say, although the lamps had not been relit, the room did not become dark on the extinction of the flames. A bright light was streaming through the window, which had passed unnoticed in the previous illumination. The revelers started to their feet, and looked at each other in astonishment. A fire cried several. But unless the house itself were burning, there could not be a fire anywhere near Cape Bathurst. The lieutenant rushed to the window, and at once understood the cause of the phenomenon. It was an eruption. Indeed, above the western cliffs beyond Walrus's Bay, the horizon was on fire. The summits of the igneous hills, some miles from Cape Bathurst, could not be seen. But the sheaf of flame shot up to a considerable height, lighting up the whole country in a weird, unearthly manner. It is more beautiful than the Aurora Borealis, exclaimed Mrs. Barnette. Thomas Black indignantly protested against this assertion. A terrestrial phenomenon more beautiful than a meteor. But no one was disposed to argue with him about it, for all hurried out, in spite of the bitter gale and biting cold, to watch the glorious spectacle of the flashing sheaf of flames, standing out against the black background of the night sky. Had not the mouths and ears of the party been cased in furs, they would have been able to hear the rumbling noise of the eruption, and to tell each other of the impressions made upon them by this magnificent sight. But as it was, they could neither speak nor hear. They might be well content, however, with gazing upon such a glorious scene, a scene which once looked upon could never be forgotten. The glowing sheets of flames contrasted alike, with the gloomy darkness of the heavens, and the dazzling whiteness of the far-stretching carpet of snow, and produced effects of light and shade which no pen or pencil could adequately portray. The throbbing reverberations spread beyond the zenith, gradually quenching the light of all the stars. The white ground became dashed with golden tints, the humox on the ice-field, and the huge icebergs in the background, reflecting the glimmering colors, like so many glowing mirrors. The rays of light striking on the edges or surfaces of the ice became bent and diffracted, the angles and varying inclinations on which they fell, fretting them into fringes of color, and reflecting them back with changed and heightened beauty. It was like a fairy scene, in which ice and snow, combined to add, eclat to a melee of rays, in which luminous waves rushed upon each other, breaking into colored ripples. But the excessive cold soon drove the admiring spectators back to their warm dwelling, and many a nose paid dearly for the feast enjoyed by the eyes. During the following days the cold became doubly severe, the mercurial thermometer was of course no longer of any use for marking degrees, and an alcohol thermometer had to be used. On the night of the twenty-eighth to the twenty-ninth December the column fell to thirty-two degrees below zero. The stoves were piled up with fuel, but the temperature in the house could not be maintained above twenty degrees. The bedrooms were exceedingly cold, and ten-feet from the stove in the large room, its heat could not be felt at all. The little baby had the warmest corner, and its cradle was rocked in turn by those who came to the fire. Opening doors or windows was strictly forbidden, as the vapor in the rooms would immediately have been converted to snow, and in the passage the breathing of the inmates already produced that result. Every now and then dull reports were heard, which startled those unaccustomed to living in such high latitudes. They were caused by the cracking of the trunks of trees, of which the walls were composed under the influence of the intense cold. The stock of rum and gin stowed away in the garret had to be brought down into the sitting-room, as the alcohol was freezing and sinking to the bottom of the bottles. This brew-spear made from a decoction of young fur-branchlets burst the barrels in which it was kept as it froze, whilst all the solid bodies resisted the introduction of heat as if they were petrified. Wood burnt very slowly, and Hobson was obliged to sacrifice some of the walrus oil to quicken its combustion. Fortunately the chimneys drew well so that there was no disagreeable smell inside. Although for a long distance outside the air was impregnated with the fetid odor of the smoke from Fort Hope, which a casual observer might therefore have pronounced an unhealthy building. One symptom we must notice was the great thirst from which everyone suffered. To relieve it different liquids had to be melted at the fire, for it would have been dangerous to eat ice. Another effect of the cold was intense drowsiness, which Hobson earnestly entreated his companions to resist. Some appeared unable to do so, but Mrs. Barnett was invaluable in setting an example of constant activity. Always brave she kept herself awake and encouraged others by her kindness, brightness and sympathy. Sometimes she read aloud accounts of travels or sang some old familiar English song in the chorus of which all joined. These joyous strains roused up the sleepers whether they would or no, and their voices soon swelled with the chorus. The long days of imprisonment passed wearily by, and the lieutenant, consulting the outside thermometer through the windows, announced that the cold was still on the increase. On the 31st December the mercury was all frozen hard in the cistern of the instrument, so that the temperature was forty-four degrees below freezing point. The next day, 1st January 1860, Lieutenant Hobson wished Mrs. Barnett a happy new year, and complimented her on the courage and good temper with which she endured the miseries of this northern winter. The astronomer was not forgotten in the universal interchange of good wishes amongst the members of the little colony. But his only thought on entering another year was that it was the beginning of that in which the great eclipse was to take place. Fortunately the general health still remained good, and any symptoms of scurvy were promptly checked by the use of lime juice and lime lozenges. It would not do, however, to rejoice too soon, the winter had still to last three months. The sun would doubtless reappear above the horizon in due time, but there was no reason to think that the cold had reached its maximum intensity. Especially as in most northern countries, February is the month during which the temperature falls lowest. However that might be, there is no decrease in the severity of weather during the first days of the new year, and on the 8th January the alcohol thermometer placed outside the window of the passage marked 66 degrees below zero. A few degrees more, and the minimum temperature at Fort Reliance in 1835 would be reached. Jasper Hobson grew more and more uneasy at the continued severity of the cold. He began to fear that the furred animals would have to seek a less rigorous climate further south, which would of course thwart all his plans for hunting in the early spring. Moreover he sometimes heard subterranean rumblings which were evidently connected with the volcanic eruption. The western horizon still glowed with the reflection of a burning lava, and it was evident that some great convulsion was going on in the bowels of the earth. Might not the close vicinity of an active volcano be dangerous to the new fort. Such was the question which the subterranean rumblings forced upon the mind of a lieutenant, but he kept his vague apprehensions to himself. Of course under these circumstances no one dreamt of leaving the house. The animals were well provided for, and being accustomed to long fasts in the winter required no attention from their masters, so that there were really no necessity for any exposure out of doors. It was difficult enough to endure the inside temperature, even with the help of a plentiful combustion of wood and oil. For in spite of every precaution damp crept into the ill ventilated rooms and layers of ice increasing in thickness every day were formed upon the beams. The condensers were choked up, and one of them burst from the pressure of the ice. Lieutenant Hobson did not spare his fuel. He was in fact rather lavish of it in his anxiety to raise the temperature, which, when the fires got low, as of course sometimes happened, fell to fifteen degrees Fahrenheit. The men on guard, who relieved each other every hour, had strict orders to keep up the fires, and great was the dismay of the lieutenant when Sergeant Long said to him one day, We shall be out of wood soon. Out of wood? exclaimed Hobson. I mean, our stock is getting low, and we must lay in fresh doors soon. Of course I know, though, that it will be at the risk of his life, that any one goes out in this cold. Yes, Hobson replied. It was a mistake not to build the wooden shed close to the house, and to make no direct communication with it. I see that now it is too late. I ought not to have forgotten that we were going to winter beyond the seventieth parallel. But what's done can't be undone. How long will the wood last? There is enough to feed the furnace and stove for another two or three days, replied the sergeant. Let us hope that by that time the severity of the cold may have decreased, and that we may venture across the court of the fort without danger. I doubt it, sir, replied Long, shaking his head. The atmosphere is very clear, the wind is still in the north, and I shall not be surprised if this temperature is maintained for another fifteen days until the new moon, in fact. Well, my brave fellow, said the lieutenant, we won't die of cold if we can help it, and the day we have to brave the outside air. We will brave it, sir, said Long. Hobson pressed his subordinate's hand while knowing the poor fellow's devotion. We might fancy that Hobson and the sergeant were exaggerating when they alluded to the fatal results from sudden exposure to the open air. But they spoke from experience, gained from long residence in the rigorous polar regions. They had seen strong men fall fainting on the ice under similar circumstances. Their breath failed them, and they were taken up in a state of suffocation. Incredible as such facts may appear, they have been of frequent occurrence amongst those who have wintered in the extreme north. In their journey along the shores of Hudson's Bay, in 1746, Moore and Smith saw many incidents of this kind. Some of their companions were killed, struck down by the cold, and there can be no doubt that sudden death may result from braving a temperature in which mercury freezes. Such was the distressing state of things at Fort Hope when a new danger arose to aggravate the sufferings of the colonists.