orange tinge. Every fleecy cloud was tinted with gold and red, orange and pink, while the clear portions of the sky itself were of the purest blue. The sea mirrored those lovely colours.

But still more beautiful and wonderful seemed the vast mountain of ice on which we floated, as it appeared towering over us. The pinnacles and turrets of the summit were tinted with the glowing hues of the east; lower down, the columns and arches which supported them seemed formed of the purest alabaster. Around us on both sides, appeared vast caverns and grottos, their entrances fringed with drooping icicles, glittering brilliantly.

It is not to be wondered at if we did not then admire the enchanting spectacle as much as it deserved; for we could not forget that we were floating on an iceberg in the middle of the northern seas, far from food and hope. -Peter the Whaler.

Al'abaster, a fine variety of gypsum, usually white and clear.
Bow, the stem or forepart of a ship, opposite to the stern,
Bo'w-sprit, the boom which projects over a ship's bow.
Fo're-castle, the raised deck on the forepart of a ship.
Marines (pr. ma-re'ens), soldiers serving on board of a ship.
Watch, the part of a ship's crew on duty at one time.

QUESTIONS.

What are glaciers? What are icebergs? What was heard by the sailors? What arose in the ship? What increased the noise? What did the officers do? What did many of the people do? What happened to the bows of the ship? What caused the disaster? What alarm was raised? How did the writer and others escape? How did the marines prevent others

from following this example? Describe the scene as it appeared in the flashing of the muskets. What became of the ship and those on board? To what dangers were those on the iceberg exposed? How did the morning differ from the night? What appearance had the morning sky? the sea? the iceberg? Why could they not admire this fine spectacle?

Spell adjectives formed from north, south, east, west, ice, fleece, fire, greed, love, fear, fright, dread, beauty, wonder, terror, horror.

R. IV.

F

DICTATION.

Huge icicles were thrown from the roof of the grotto. Who sat on the throne of Britain at the close of last century? In icy northern climes one has need of warm clothes. Did the sailors climb the column? The fleecy clouds were tinged with fiery red. With fearful shrieks of despair they sprang over the bows of the vessel. The elm boughs waved in the wind. The marines fired on the mariners. Does he feign to be sick? I would fain hope not. The vane was placed on the highest pinnacle of the holy fane. They sought for a vein of copper; but they sought in vain.

THROW more logs upon the fire!

We have need of a cheerful light,
And close round the hearth to gather,
For the wind blows wild to-night.
With the mournful sound of its wailing
It has checked the children's glee,
And it calls with a louder clamour
Than the clamour of the sea.

Hark to the voice of the wind!

Let us listen to what it is saying,
Let us hearken to where it has been ;
For it tells, in its terrible crying,
The fearful sights it has seen.
It clatters loud at the casements,
Round the house it hurries on,
And shrieks with redoubled fury
When we say, "The blast is gone!"

Hark to the voice of the wind!

It has been on the field of battle,
Where the dying and wounded lie,
And it brings the last groan they uttered,
And the ravenous vulture's cry.

It has been where the icebergs meeting
Have closed with a fearful crash;

On the shore where no footsteps have wandered
It has heard the waters dash.

Hark to the voice of the wind!

It has been in the desolate ocean,
When the lightning struck the mast;
It has heard the cry of the drowning
Who sank as it hurried past.
The words of despair and anguish
That were heard by no living ear-
The gun that no signal answered--
It brings them all to us here.

Hark to the voice of the wind!

It has been on the lonely moorland
Where the treacherous snow-drift lies,
Where the traveller, spent and weary,
Gasped fainter and fainter cries.
It has swept through the rocking forest
Where the sledge was urged to its speed,
For the howling wolves were rushing
On the track of the panting steed.

Hark to the voice of the wind!

Then throw more logs on the fire,
Since the air is keen and cold,
And the children's hearts are saddened
By the tales that the wind has told.
So closer and closer gather

Round the red and crackling light;
And rejoice, while the wind is blowing,
That we sit round the hearth to-night.

Hark to the voice of the wind!--Anon.

The ravenous vulture's cry-The vulture is a rapacious bird which lives chiefly on dead carcases and offal. These birds have been known to follow armies to the field of battle, in order to prey on the bodies of the slain.

The gun that no signal answered-Ships in distress discharge a gun every minute (hence called a minute-gun) to attract the attention of any vessel that may be near them. Here the gun was unheard and unanswered.

Treacherous snow-drift-Snow driven by the wind often fills up and conceals pits and hollows in the moorland; and travellers who, unaware of danger, sink into such pits, often perish before help can reach them."

QUESTIONS.

When is a cheerful fire needed? What sound has the stormy wind? What does its wailing seem to tell? What has it heard on the battle-fleld? In the northern seas? On the desolate

ocean? On the snowy moorland? In the forest? What is a minnte-gun? Why is the snow-drift called treacher

ous?

Pronounce and distinguish :-lightning, lightening; track, tract; beacon, beckon; goal, gaol; suit, suite; loyal, royal.

DICTATION.

The chimney was struck by lightning. There are many ways of lightening a ship. Behind us was a tract of barren land. It was not easy to conceal our track. He wrote a tract on the subject. A beacon was lighted on the hill. They beckon to us with their hands. At last we reached the goal. How long did he lie in gaol? These clothes suit you well. The Queen and her suite have left Balmoral. He has always been loyal to the royal family.

XXVII. THE THERMOMETER.

Ac'-cu-rate-ly, exactly..
Con-struc'-tion, formation.
De-gre'e, measure, extent; a
division marked on a baro-
meter or thermometer.
Dě'-li-cate, fine, requiring care.
Di-vi'-sions, intervals, spaces
marked off.
Dis-tinct', clear.

Ef-fect', result.

Ex-cess', too much.

Gră'-du-al-ly, by degrees.

I-de'-a, notion.
Im-mer'sed, plunged.
In-ven'-tor, contriver.
Mě'as-ure, estimate.
No'-ticed, observed.
Op-er-a-tions, processes.
Pre-pa'res, makes ready.
Pro-du'ce, cause.

Quan-ti-ty, amount.

Sen-sa'-tion, feeling.

Test, proof; means of judging.
Va-ries, changes.

ALL substances produce in us, when we touch them, the sensation of heat or of cold. The degree of heat in any substance is called its temperature; and the temperature varies from time to time, according to circumstances. Boiling water, for example, contains so much heat that it scalds the skin; but, when removed from the fire, the water gradually becomes less and less warm, until at last it contains so little heat that it cools the hand instead of scalding it.

Our feelings do not always give us true information about the temperature of the bodies by which we are surrounded. A person comes into a warm room from the open air on a cold day, and exclaims, "How warm it is here!" Another person enters the same room from one still warmer, and cries, "How cold it is here!" The first person gains heat, and therefore calls the room warm; the second loses heat, and calls it cold; while, in reality, the air of the room, all the while, is at the same degree of temperature.

A nurse prepares water for a child's bath, and measures the heat by the feeling of her hand; but she learns from the quick and sudden cry of the child, when placed in the bath, that what seemed warm to her is cold to the child.