1 84 SNOW-TIME IN THE FOREST. 



snow, which bends all the branches downwards with 

 its weight, and drapes each pine spray in a mantle of 

 dazzling white. On these occasions the snow always 

 naturally arranges itself in the most artistic draperies, 

 representing the softest foldings and most delicate 

 traceries, and often presents the appearance of floc- 

 culent masses of cotton wool, or lovely groupings 

 formed of clusters of white ostrich feathers, pendant 

 from the terminal shoots of the branches. To see a 

 fairylike panorama of this sort to the best advantage, 

 it is necessary, as we have already observed, that the 

 atmosphere should be perfectly still ; a breath of wind, 

 or even the echo of the human voice, or the passage 

 of persons through the bush near by, is sufficient to 

 cause masses of this feathery snow to fall, and so to 

 a certain extent to mar the exceeding beauty of its 

 effect: for it must be remembered that all this snow 

 is a delicate powder, light as swan's down, and dry 

 and fine as flour, that brushes off clothes like dust 

 without wetting them in the least, and when the snow 

 is in good condition it is possible to wade all day 

 through it, when it is not too deep, without the feet 

 or clothing becoming damp. 



Indeed should anything occur to dampen the clothing 

 it would be attended with considerable risk of frost 

 bite, for the air is intensely penetrating and keen as 

 a razor; the cold however is not severely felt by day 

 on account of the exceedingly dry and still condition 

 of the atmosphere. At night, strange as it may seem, 

 a very comfortable camp can be made, with the sky 

 only for a canopy, by clearing a space for it in the 

 snow, which is generally shovelled out with a snow 

 shoe, and so arranged as to form a protecting bank 



