iscovery of red snow among the central Alps of Europe, and in the
Pyrenees, and on the mountains of Norway, where _marine_ animalcules
could not exist, effectually overturned this idea. The colouring matter
has now been ascertained to result from plants belonging to the order
called _Algae_, which have a remarkable degree of vitality, and possess
the power, to an amazing extent, of growing and spreading with rapidity
even over such an ungenial soil as the Arctic snow.

While Singleton was examining the red snow, and vainly endeavouring to
ascertain the nature of the minute specks of matter, by which it was
coloured, Fred continued to gaze with a look of increasing earnestness
towards the tall column, around which a bank of fog was spreading, and
partially concealing it from view. At length he attracted the attention
of his companion towards it.

"I say, I'm half inclined to believe that yon is no work of nature, but
a monument set up to attract the attention of ships. Don't you think
so?"

Singleton regarded the object in question for some time. "I don't think
so, Fred; it is larger than you suppose, for the fog-bank deceives us;
but let us go and see--it cannot be far off."

As they drew near to the tall rock, Fred's hopes began to fade, and soon
were utterly quenched by the fog clearing away and showing that the
column was indeed of nature's own constructing. It was a single,
solitary shaft of green limestone, which stood on the brink of a deep
ravine, and was marked by the slaty limestone that once encased it. The
length of the column was apparently about five hundred feet, and the
pedestal of sandstone on which it stood was itself upwards of two
hundred feet high.

This magnificent column seemed the flag-staff of a gigantic crystal
fortress, which was suddenly revealing by the clearing away of the
fog-bank to the north. It was the face of the great glacier of the
interior, which here presented an unbroken perpendicular front--a sweep
of solid glassy wall, which rose three hundred feet above the
water-level, with an unknown depth below it. The sun glittered on the
crags, and peaks, and battlements of this ice fortress as if the
mysterious inhabitants of the far north had lit up their fires, and
planted their artillery to resist further invasion.

The effect upon the minds of the two youths, who were probably the first
to gaze upon those wondrous visions of the icy regions, was tremendous.
For a long ti