﻿1848. POINT CLIFTON. 287 



about five miles backwards. Over this the stream 

 spreads when flooded, but when low, filters out by 

 narrow channels, barred across by sand-banks. 

 The valley is bounded on the east and west by 

 elevated banks of sand, diluvial loam and boulders, 

 which meet at the Melville Range. The valley at 

 this time presented a singular scene of desolation ; 

 for though the summer was now far advanced, its 

 flat bottom was entirely covered with large floes 

 of ice, which had been probably driven over the 

 sand-bar from the sea by northerly w^inds. 



A brood of long- tailed ducks {Harelda glacialis) 

 were seen swimming in one of the streams with the 

 mother bird in the van. Her wariness did not 

 prevent us from laying her flock under contribution 

 for our evenino; meal. 



August 20th. — This day also our voyage was 

 performed among crowded floes of ice, and was 

 consequently slow. When we landed to prepare 

 breakfast, Mr. Rae killed a fine buck rein-deer. In 

 this quarter, a skilful hunter, like Mr. Rae, could 

 supply the whole party with venison without any 

 loss of time. A meridional observation was ob- 

 tained in lat. 69° 9' iSf. between Point Clifton and 

 Inman's River, and about two miles from the latter ; 

 the variation of the compass, by the sun's bearing 

 at noon, being 6H° E., and Point Clifton bearing 

 north 26° west, distant a mile and a quarter. 



