290 CONNECTION OF THE TWO SEAS. 



friend Admiral Sir Samuel Pytn, his grandson also being 

 my boat companion. From tins height, in conjunction 

 with Grave Mount, I plainly traced the connection of 

 the two seas by two large lakes, with one of fresh water 

 feeding them.* 



Here I first noticed the effect of a true fog. Our 

 temperature was 17, with a bitter north breeze, but the 

 air was clear, and objects well defined. Notwithstand- 

 ing, the vapour condensed on every object ; and the 

 coldest, our heavy stone cairn, was, before we left it, a 

 polished cone on the weather side, with the resemblance 

 of icicles, or thaw, pendent from the under edges ! Sub- 

 sequently, at other stations I remarked the same. Here 

 the ground was snow-clad, the sun had no influence at 

 midnight, and the temperature was 15 below freezing; 

 yet the atmosphere, northerly, was clearly "misty:" does 

 this come from the Polar Sea ? 



We were naturally anxious to get back to our tent, 

 from which our computed distance was 9.2 miles direct. 

 We reached it in five hours and a half, slept, and about 

 nine P.M. on the 31st commenced our return up this 

 strait, picking up a new station at Pitch Mount, which 

 derived its name from a very strong naphtha and asphalt 

 effluvium, added to its swinestone formation. Mr. Grove 

 had ascended it by another route ; and informing me 

 that he had passed a small mark, which he would not 

 allow any of his people to disturb, I visited it in my 

 way down. Excitement in every degree seems to pervade 



* This has since been named Grinncll Land, but not by me. I deny 

 the possibility of its being seen by any vessel from any point of the 

 parallel of 75 30' north : Hamilton Island may. 



