78 NOISES ON ICE AND SNOW. [December, 



occurred, nothing however to compare with the splen- 

 dour of that noticed last season; but two well-defined 

 luminous spots were observed horizontally, and a trace 

 of one vertical to the planet. To the southward the 

 horizon reminded me of the reflected gas illumination so 

 well known to pervade the atmosphere above London ; 

 at times I fancied I could almost distinguish some bril- 

 liant lamp. Last year Venus exhibited herself some- 

 thing in this manner above the pack, and presented a 

 most beautiful pharos, but at present she has at least 

 forty-five degrees of azimuth to the eastward. It may 

 yet have been a reflected star, or one of imagination, and 

 rather forcibly brought to my mind, " What would I 

 not give to wander?" However, duty keeps us here, 

 and a cold one too ! 



On the 17th the weather proved beautifully clear; 

 shortly after noon I strolled towards the Crystal Palace, 

 which has lately been devoted to the use of the skittle- 

 players. At these springs the tide rose higher than usual, 

 and my attention was attracted by the repeated noise 

 resulting from the cracking of ice, as well as snow. It 

 occurred to me that part of the noise resulted from my 

 walking over the floating ice. I stopped five minutes and 

 listened attentively, when the nearer cracking noise ap- 

 parently subsided. As I again proceeded it increased de- 

 cidedly ; and on entering the snow its peculiar rushing 

 noise, as of the escape of air, became very apparent. In 

 the summer this latter sensation is at times startling, and, 

 I believe, results from the air generated beneath by the 

 sun's rays forming an ice-crust, thus causing a rushing 

 sound in the ears as it escapes at the fracture made by 



