308 FLUIDITY OF THE SOIL. [June, 



the soil in all the hollows or small watercourses became 

 semi-fluid, and very uncomfortable to walk on, or sink 

 into. At the edge of the southern bank, the mud could 

 be seen actually flowing ; reminding one more of an as- 

 phalt bank in a tropical region than our position in 77 

 10' N., and, when a mist too deeply enshrouded the sun, 

 attended with anything but pleasurable feelings. The 

 entire aspect of our immediate position, and beneath, 

 presented the features of a newly-drained lake, the lower 

 land conveying its fluid mud to the sea. The soil, a dark 

 brown ferruginous clay, resulting from the disintegration 

 of clay ironstone, black and glazed by exposure to the 

 sun, and cracking into compartments, impressed on my 

 mind the probability that a continued series of hot days 

 would materially change the outlines of my present po- 

 sition, converting it possibly into a similar slope to that 

 now exhibited beneath. Even where I stood, the tempe- 

 rature, basking in the sun's rays, was lillng at 25, 

 with the sun clouded, chilling : but I am informed by 

 those who were in the tent, that the heat was almost in- 

 supportable ! As to my surveying observations, which 

 confined me to the spot, they have been before alluded 

 to ; but at this position I experienced infinite annoyance 

 from the incessant derangement of the levels, rendering 

 repeated adjustment imperative. 



How these islands were originally produced, I leave 

 theorists to determine : how they are changed, and 

 changing, requires no great reasoning powers. About 

 two P.M. I was not at all sorry to commence our descent, 

 but we experienced very dirty work before this was ef- 

 fected. The entire slope, in consequence of the thaw, 



