﻿264 ESKIMO TENTS. August, 



thinner, than in 1826. The bulk of the cliff is 

 composed of a black clay or loam, which is disposed 

 in undulated beds, and, in some places, the section 

 exhibits a spherical mass eight or ten yards in 

 diameter, with concentric layers, like the coats of 

 an onion. A few pebbles occur in the loam, and 

 the beach is formed of sand and small pebbles 

 washed from the cliffs, and consisting mostly of 

 trap mixed with quartz, and a little white sand- 

 stone and limestone. 



In 1826 I observed many slabs of red sandstone in 

 the channel behind the island, but there were none 

 at our present encampment. I caused a pit to be 

 dug at the top of the cliff, and found that the 

 thaw had penetrated sixteen inches. A thermo- 

 meter laid on the bottom of the pit indicated 33°r., 

 the temperature in the shade being at the time 42°F. 

 High- water occurred at 1 a.m., and the ebb flowed 

 to the northward along the island. 



The distance we ran from our encampment at 

 Cape Dalhousie to Point Maitland, measured by 

 Massey's log, was thirty-five geographical miles, 

 or thirty-one direct (excluding the angle we made), 

 which agrees exactly with Lieutenant Kendall's 

 map of 1826. Mr. Rae killed some rock ptarmi- 

 gan in the night. The old males were moulting 

 at this time. 



August 10th. — Having breakfasted before embark- 



