The Field of Ice

ghted to see them back safe and sound. The hunters were no less glad to find themselves once more in a warm shelt

eerily, and the big kitchen fire waiting to cook such game as might be brought in. Clawbonny donned his official apron again, and soon had his

st confess eating is the most important business if one has t

to speak, but the Doctor signified his agre

and it seemed as if they were, for they

owed anybody but himself to concoct this precious beverage; for he made a point of serving it boiling hot, always decl

skin you

it," was the D

ust be copper-sheat

my example. Many persons, and I am one, c

"why, that is hotter th

d could not bear more than 122°, but th

urpris

ometer, he plunged it into the steaming coffee. He waited till the mercury rose a

his example, but burn

d to it," said t

Altamont, "what is the highest tempe

ervant girls, in the town of Rochefoucauld, in France, who could stay ten minutes in a baker's

!" exclaime

e, Banks, Solander, Blagdin, Home, Nooth, Lord Seaforth, and Captain Phi

en!" said Bell, with a

ld have done better th

en. There is one more instance I recollect, and really it is so incredible, that it would be impossible to believe it, if it were not a

as those servant girls, or our

t water. Hot air produces perspiration, which protects the skin, but boiling water scalds. The maximum he

re, Mr. Clawbonny, of anima

he highest, especially the duck and the hen. The mammalia come ne

to claim a higher rate for his co

g us, but as I never have put a thermometer down thei

ces when they are placed under the same conditions, whatever their food may be.

es is the same here as in

, the elephant, the porpoise, and the tiger are nearly the same; but the cat, the squirrel, the rat, the

ating to us,"

with that of the water. The serpent has a temperature of 86°, the frog 70°, and the

Doctor for his scientific information; but we are really talking as if we were going to brave the heat of the torrid zone. I

was frozen throughout its entire extent, and the wolves crossed the Cattigut on firm ground; in 1509, the Adriatic and the Mediterranean were frozen at Venice and Marseilles, and the Baltic on the 10th of April; in 1608, all the cattle di

r circle, what is the lowe

ometer was 72° below zero, and, if my memory serves me right, the lowest temperature mentioned hithe

rity of the winter that barred our progress, f

y?" asked Altamont, looki

e west," the Docto

mont, resuming the conversation, "are about 200° apart

ished," suggested Johnson, "would not

; but, even should it happen, the tempe

's cu

, the difference between day and night would be far greater, as also the degree of cold at the Poles.

rn to-night,

a good fire, for it

Bell. "But do look out,

d the Doctor, going up to the window. "H

that they hardly noticed them now. He soon followed the example of the others