272 



DISCOVER OPEN WATER. 



{.May, 



cause us to lose a day. And yet how fortunate have we 

 been never delayed an hour by weather ! We followed 

 our course under the base of these beetling cliffs, shoot- 

 ing their debris into the sea (when unfrozen). The strip 

 available for travelling was at times reduced to such a 

 very steep incline of drift snow, that we were compelled 

 to take to the rough ice. In our march round the base 

 of the cliffs one ptarmigan was seen, and Mr. Grove killed 

 a small hare. 



May 19. About four A.M. our further progress was 

 arrested by the dense and impenetrable pack up to the 

 cliffs : off-shore it proved still more disheartening ; had 



it been merely ice, through which we could have cut our 

 way, the matter would have been simply one of labour. 

 Mr. Loney advanced to reconnoitre, but the result of his 

 report decidedly closed further specvdation : the water 

 had made between ! The glacier, abruptly broken off in 

 advance, was sea-washed, and the channel exhibited un- 

 mistakable evidence of breaking up ! 



