3 bO ADVENT OF THE ARCTIC SPRING. 



The departure of the winter following upon the 

 return of the sun, and the breaking up of the ice 

 pack is also the signal for another wondrous display 

 of power, compared to which all other natural phe- 

 nomena may well seem small in comparison; and 

 the frightful noises which frequently accompany the 

 setting in motion of all these millions of tons of ice 

 at times exactly resemble the discharge of heavy 

 artillery. The consequent perils to which ships beset 

 in the ice are always exposed at this season, and the 

 utter powerlessness of their crews to do anything to 

 avert a destruction which seems inevitable, are matters 

 of fact, related in almost every book of arctic travel. 



The advent of spring is generally heralded in these 

 regions by the softening of the snow ; and its beginning 

 to ball under the foot in northern countries is generally 

 regarded as the first indication of approaching spring. 

 When the thaw sets in the ice becomes quickly rotten 

 and its rapid break-up then becomes only a question of 

 days. The enormous weight and grinding power of these 

 great frozen masses is so great that nothing can with- 

 stand it. The strongest ship if brought into direct 

 contact with it, would be crumpled up like so much 

 brown paper : and many instances are recorded of ships 

 being lifted right up out of the water and cast upon 

 the top of a pile of debris like pieces of floating chips. 

 Nevertheless on the dispersal of the ice below, they 

 have often been known to settle down again, and 

 effect their safe escape into open water. It was a 

 circumstance of this kind however that led to the loss 

 of the ill-fated Franklin expedition. Nowhere in fact 

 do the puny efforts of man appear so futile to control 

 events, or so powerless to save, as upon these occasions. 



