found, to my astonishment, that Bachelors' Hall was apparently
converted into a palace of crystal. The walls and ceiling were thickly
coated with beautiful minute crystalline flowers, not sticking flat upon
them, but projecting outwards in various directions, thus giving the
whole apartment a cheerful, light appearance, quite indescribable. The
moment our stove was heated, however, the crystals became fluid, and ere
long evaporated, leaving the walls exposed in all their original
dinginess.

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Winter passed away; but not slowly, or by degrees. A winter of so long
duration could not be expected to give up its dominion without a
struggle. In October it began, and in November its empire was
established. During December, January, February, March, and April it
reigned unmolested, in steadfast bitterness; enclosing in its icy bands,
and retaining in torpid frigidity, the whole inanimate and vegetable
creation. But in May its powerful enemy, caloric, made a decided attack
upon the empire, and dealt hoary Winter a stunning blow.

About the beginning of April a slight thaw occurred, the first that had
taken place since the commencement of winter; but this was speedily
succeeded by hard frost, which continued till the second week in May,
when thaw set in so steadily that in a few days the appearance of the
country entirely changed.

On the 12th of May, Hayes River, which had been covered for nearly eight
months with a coat of ice upwards of six feet thick, gave way before the
floods occasioned by the melting snow; and all the inmates of the fort
rushed out to the banks upon hearing the news that the river was going.
On reaching the gate, the sublimity of the spectacle that met our gaze
can scarcely be imagined. The noble river, here nearly two miles broad,
was entirely covered with huge blocks and jagged lumps of ice, rolling
and dashing against each other in chaotic confusion, as the swelling
floods heaved them up and swept them with irresistible force towards
Hudson Bay. In one place, where the masses were too closely packed to
admit of violent collision, they ground against each other with a slow
but powerful motion that curled their hard edges up like paper, till the
smaller lumps, unable to bear the pressure, were ground to powder, and
with a loud crash the rest hurried on to renew the struggle elsewhere,
while the ice above, whirling swiftly