THE WORLD OF ICE. 215

the scene before them. ‘The stage was covered with
white sheets arranged in such a manner as to repre-
sent snow, and the more effectually to carry out the
idea several huge blocks of real ice and a few patches
of snow were introduced here and there, the cold in
the after part of the cabin being too great to permit
of their melting. A top-gallant-sail, on which were
painted several blue cracks, and some strong white
lights did duty for an iceberg, and filled up the whole
back of the scene. In front of this, in the centre of
the stage, on an extemporized hummock, sat Peter
Grim, as the Giant Blunderbore. His colossal pro-
portions were enhanced by the addition of an entire
white bear-skin to his ordinary hairy dress, and which
was thrown round his broad shoulders in the form of
a tippet. A broad scarlet sash was tied round his
waist, and a crown of brown paper painted in alternate
diamonds of blue, red, and yellow sat upon his brow.
Grim was in truth a magnificent-looking fellow, with
his black beard and moustache; and the mock-heroic
frown with which he gazed up (as one of the audience
suggested) at the aurora borealis, while he grasped an
enormous club in his right hand, became him well.

The first few seconds of dead silence with which
this was received were succeeded by a long and loud
burst of applause, the heartiness of which plainly
showed that the scene far exceeded the expectations
of the men.

“Bravo!” cried the captain, “excellent! nothing
could be better.”