1853.] VISITED BY A HARE. 323 



about five miles to the south-east ; and from the steeply 

 inclined sides of the mountains, a very considerable water 

 surface must prevail. If musk-oxen, deer, or other game 

 exist anywhere in this region, I should be greatly inclined 

 to seek for them there, and the attempt may yet be made 

 from the ship. 



The entire formation of this headland is a fossiliferous 

 grey limestone, with a tendency to oolite, comminuted as 

 usual into four-ounce pieces. Whence the larger lumps 

 were obtained to construct the cairn, I know not, unless 

 they cleared the mountain before our arrival : Comman- 

 der Richards was unable last season to find more than 

 enough to construct his very small mark. 



Making a temporary bed of the smoothest Macadam- 

 ized spot, I lay down under the lee of the pile, in order 

 to avoid the barber, or condensation and freezing of fog 

 on eyebrows, whiskers, and beard, reducing one literally 

 to Jack Frost, very troublesome and very painful to re- 

 move. I happened to drop into a momentary doze, when 

 my watchman pulled me by the coat, and on opening my 

 eyes I noticed before me, in my confused state, a fairy -like 

 vision. About thirty yards in front of me sat, with body 

 and ears erect and fore-paws hanging, a most interest- 

 ing, inquisitive, snow-white hare. Although iu some mea- 

 sure disposed to pity the poor creature, the cruel instinct 

 of our nature prompted me to point my gun, and fire a 

 ball ; and this failing, shot Mowed ; but the vision, much 

 to our mortification, vanished. One brent-goose we had, 

 to which this would have been an agreeable addition. 

 But Puss, and many other specimens of Arctic zoology, 

 may thank our bad fowling-pieces for similar escapes 



Y 2 



