282 REACH PTARMIGAN STATION. 



it has thawed for ages ! heavy, wavy, whitish-blue ice, 

 but partially covered with suow, and presenting more of 

 lake than sea formation. When these rivers are set in 

 motion by the thaws, it is not improbable that they flow 

 over the ice and freeze immediately. The temperature 

 on the land when thaw occurs at present I find, at three 

 feet above the earth, to range between 20 and 24, when 

 at the same moment it would exhibit a temperature as 

 low as 14 on the floe surface : the thaw therefore must 

 result from the absorption of heat by the earth and 

 stones alone during the day. 



The latitude of this position was 76 34' N., and it 

 received the appellation of Ptarmigan Station from the 

 birds killed here, as well as being our first fresh kalf- 

 meal obtained from our guns. The soil composing this 

 point being a very fine sand, covered here and there with 

 patches or tufts of saxifrage, without a trace of rock, com- 

 pelled us to construct our pile of the tufts, cemented with 

 nioist snow and sand, which, freezing as we progressed, 

 led us to hope that it might at least hold together until 

 our next station was established. 



On the 28th of May, the temperature having risen, we 

 were incommoded by a fall of moist snow, sufficiently 

 heavy to detain us to clear out and restow our sledge, 

 so that we did not succeed in quitting our position until 

 near nine, which delay enabled our consort, the ' Daunt- 

 less,' to rejoin, when we proceeded towards the southern 

 depth of the bay, estimated as distant five miles, and not 

 at all indicating any prospect of an opening. 



If one trusted merely to appearances in this service, 

 he would most assuredly, in many cases, be deceived ; 



