is, but the pieces were made to
incline a little inwards. The top of this was squared off with a knife
by one of them who stood in the middle, while the others from without
supplied him with bricks.

When the wall had been raised to the height of five feet, it leaned so
much that we thought it would certainly fall in; but still our friends
worked on till they could no longer reach the top. The man within then
cut a hole in the south-west side, where the door was intended to be,
and through this the slabs were now passed. They worked on till the
sides met in a well-constructed dome; and then one climbing up to the
top, dropped into the centre the last block or keystone.

The rest of the party were all this time busily employed with their
snow-shovels in throwing up the snow around the building, and in
carefully filling any crevices which might have been left.

While we stood looking on with amazement at the rapidity and neatness
with which the work was executed, the builder let himself out as a mole
does out of his mole-hill. He cut away the door till he had formed a
gothic arch, about three feet high, and two and a half wide at the
bottom. From this door in the same way two passages were constructed
about twelve feet long, the floor of them being considerably lower than
the floor of the hut, so that one had to creep up through them into the
hut.

We were wondering how they were to see through the thick snow, when from
one of the sledges a large slab of fresh-water ice was produced; and the
builder cutting a round hole in one side of the roof, it was let into it
to form a window.

After the window was cut, the builder remained inside for a short time,
and then invited us to enter. He had collected the snow on one side to
form the beds for a family. Round the remaining portion seats were
formed, and a place for holding the cooking-lamp.

Indeed the house thus rapidly formed was perfect in every respect. The
light which came through the ice was like that transmitted through
ground glass, very soft and pleasant, and tinted with the most delicate
hues of green and blue. A domed room of the most shining alabaster
could not be more beautiful. We found that our friends intended to take
up their abode near us; for as soon as they had finished one hut, they
began upon others, making signs to us that the first they intended for
our occupation.

We would rather, perhaps, for some reasons, that they had selected a