158 THE WORLD OF ICE.

were piled upon each other round the margin of the
circle, they formed a dome-shaped structure like a
bee-hive, which was six feet high inside, and remark-
ably solid. The slabs were cemented together with
loose snow, and every accidental chink or crevice
filled up with the same material. The natives some-
times insert a block of clear ice in the roof for a
window, but this was dispensed with on the present
occasion——first, because there was no light to let in;
and, secondly, because if there had been, they didn’t
want it.

The building of the hut occupied only an hour,
for the hunters were cold and hungry, and in their
ease the old proverb might have been paraphrased,
“No work, no supper.” A hole, just large enough
to permit a man to creep through on his hands and
knees, formed the door of this bee-hive. Attached
to this hole, and cemented to it, was a low tunnel of
about four feet in length. When finished, both ends
of the tunnel were closed up with slabs of hard snow,
which served the purpose of double doors, and eftec-
tually kept out the cold.

While this tunnel was approaching completion, Fred
retired to a short distance, and sat down to rest a few
minutes on a block of ice.

A great change had come over the scene during
the time they were at work on the snow-hut. The
night had settled down, and now the whole sky was
lit up with the vivid and beautiful coruscations of
the aurora borcalis—that magnificent meteor of the