a
frozen sea or sheet of snow, then we really felt how hard it could
freeze. Even the Esquimaux kept within their snow-huts, and we could
not venture beyond the shelter of our snow-wall, without instantly
having our faces frost-bitten.

It was not till the last day of November that we entirely lost sight of
the sun, and the long arctic night commenced. But the night of that
region cannot be compared to the dark, gloomy nights of more southern
climes. Overhead the sky was generally beautifully clear, and the moon
and stars shining on the snow gave a light scarcely less bright than
that of day.

About noon, also, there was always a twilight, and in clear weather a
beautiful arch of bright red light was seen over the southern horizon.
Besides this, the aurora borealis frequently lighted up the sky with its
brilliant hues, like some magnificent firework on a grand scale. I
watched a very beautiful aurora one night in the south-west, which
extended its glowing radiance as far as the zenith.

Fancy a bright arch suddenly bursting forth in the dark-blue sky,
sending up streamers of many hues--orange, crimson, and purple--while
bright coruscations were emitted from it, completely obscuring the stars
in the neighbourhood! Two bright nebulae afterwards appeared beneath
it: and about two o'clock it broke up into fragments, the coruscations
becoming more frequent and irregular till it vanished entirely.

Even during the coldest weather, provided there was no wind, we could
enjoy ourselves in the open air; but the slightest wind made us feel a
smarting sensation all over the face, with a considerable pain in the
forehead. We could not touch our guns in the open air without our
mittens; and when by accident one of us put his hand to anything iron,
it felt as if it was red-hot, and took off the flesh exactly in the same
manner.

We were very comfortable in our house, but we had to make some
alterations. We found it better to stop up the chimney of our stove,
and to use the same sort of lamp as the natives, which we were able to
do, as we were well supplied with seals and walrus. The Esquimaux used
to hunt the walrus throughout the winter, and would frequently venture
out to sea on floating masses of ice to attack them, trusting to the
wind to bring them back again with their prize.

When a walrus is struck near the edge of a floe, the hunter fastens the
line of his harpoon round his body and places his feet firmly agai