1 s ").-.] TINTED OR RED SNOW. 67 



the visits of English, the boy in particular a much more 

 intelligent lad than York, and very playful, frequently 

 repeating " Yes, yes." Their tents were pitched on the 

 low ground, under the southern and inner slope of the 

 Cape, which is probably about five hundred feet eleva- 

 tion ; but we had seen quite enough of the individuals, 

 not to care about inspecting their habitations, and I 

 had yet to reach the Cape in time to secure observations 

 for time and latitude. On our quitting, several parties 

 joined our friends ; and we moved off, directing the ship 

 to proceed towards Cape Dudley Digges, and, if not over- 

 taken by us, there to await my arrival. At the time 

 we landed, eider-duck (Anas mollissima}, lumrnes (Uria 

 Briinnicliii), dovekies (Uria Grylle), rotges (Alca Alle], 

 gulls, and other sea-birds, were numerous, and the nar- 

 whal (llonodon monoceros) was sporting in great numbers. 

 I omitted to observe, that the rotges shot by us ap- 

 peared to be absolutely gorged with a small deep-red 

 shrimp, which probably renders the flavour of these birds 

 more palatable than those subsisting entirely on fish. 

 And it frequently occurred to me, that the tinted spots 

 in our vicinity, termed red snow, had some connection 

 with these birds, which build their nests in the cliffs 

 immediately overhanging ; and the floe, far from this 

 region, was repeatedly noticed as tinged by them, but 

 certainly not of so bright a lake or crimson as that now 

 noticed by us in this locality, which is not given for the 

 habitat by Sir John Ross ; nor did we notice it to pre- 

 vail much between this and Cape Dudley Digges. A 

 supply of both (occurring together) was taken, and pre- 

 served for future examination. 



F 2 



