118 FRANKLIN'S FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 



there is no record, for a reason explained by Franklin, 

 who says that " this evening (18th of January) we 

 found the mercury of our thermometer had sunk into 

 the bulb, and was frozen." 



On the 15th of April the first shower of rain fell ; and 

 on the 17th the thermometer rose to 77 in the shade. 

 The return of the swans, geese, and ducks, now gave 

 certain indications of spring. The warm weather, by 

 the sudden melting of the snow and ice, deluged the 

 face of the country. Mr. Hood says : " The noise made 

 by the frogs which this inundation produced is almost 

 incredible. There is strong reason to believe that they 

 outlive the severity of winter. They have often been 

 found frozen, and revived by warmth ; nor is it possible 

 that the multitude which incessantly filled our ears with 

 their discordant notes could have been matured in two 

 or three days." 



Captain Franklin also notices the resuscitation of 

 fishes after being frozen : " It may be worthy of notice 

 here, that the fish froze as they were taken out of the 

 nets, and in a short time became a solid mass of ice, 

 and by a blow or two of the hatchet were easily split 

 open, when the intestines might be removed in one 

 lump. If, in this completely frozen state, they were 

 thawed before the fire, they recovered their animation. 

 This was particularly the case with the carp ; and we 

 had occasion to observe it repeatedly, as Dr. Richardson 

 occupied himself in examining the structure of the dif- 

 ferent species of fish, and was always, in the winter, 

 under the necessity of thawing them before he could cut 

 them. We have seen a carp recover so far as to leap 

 about with much vigor after it had been frozen for 

 thirty-six hours." It may be stated that the same effect 

 is produced on the insect tribe. 



Franklin and his party, increased by the addition of 



