June 23, 1856.] NOTES ON THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS, 109 



It will be seen that we, in the first place, have materially altered and ren- 

 dered more conformable to geographical delineation the outline of Wellington 

 and Queen Channel. 



That the coast-line of the Parry group has been by sledges and travellers 

 entirely completed, except in two small spots of 10 miles, viz., between Lieu- 

 tenant Mecham and Commander M'Clintock's farthest, and Commander 

 Osborn's and Mr. MacDougall's, though both are sufficiently close to leave no 

 room for doubt as to the actual configuration of the land. North Cornwall, as 

 well as many islands, have been added to the chart. The former may be a 

 very extensive continent, and I believe is serving to hold up and to prevent 

 drifting into Queen Channel, or the adjacent waters, that tremendous ice 

 which Captain M'Clure so graphically describes, and so nobly battled with. 



The theory of a Polynia has received but little confirmatory testimony from 

 our experience. The water seen by Penny, and by ourselves, was made by 

 the action of strong tides in a narrow channel : wherever the channel expanded, 

 and the tide was consequently weaker, the ice became firm. Our winter in 

 Northumberland Sound was most bitter ; and although there were indications 

 of water near us until a late season, that water was evidently occasioned by 

 tides, and not from the sea being of an uncongealable depth. 



The animals and birds did not appear to me to consider there was any better 

 region existing to the N. of our position, and in the autumn were as usual 

 seen passing to the S. 



As to navigating a Polynia during the winter, as proposed by some visionary 

 or other, I am sure any one who has witnessed the action of frost during an 

 Arctic winter will agree with me that it would be impossible. Such a sea, if 

 one existed, would be covered with one dense mass of vapour like a smoking 

 caldron. In it the mariner would see neither dangers to be avoided, nor 

 heavenly bodies whereby to guide himself. Although the sea might be liquid, 

 _yet the air would be so cold that men could not expose themselves to its 

 effects. The rudder would become frozen solid to the vessel ; the manipulation 

 of the sails would be imjtossible, when every rope breaks like a rotten stick ; 

 and the blocks would require kettles of hot water to keep them thawed. No 

 steam-engine can work after the water in the ship's bilge commences to freeze, 

 and with us that took place with the thermometer at zero in the o]:)en air. 



I need not follow that subject farther. Water was seen in the spring in 

 extensive patches off the shore of Albert Land. There is no good authority 

 for believing it otherwise than purely local, caused by the tides being pent up 

 between the islands. 



With respect to the geographical features of the northern coast of the Parry* 

 group, I M^ould call attention to its uniform but deeply-indented character, 

 from 90° W. long, to 120° W. upon its northern face. A series of long penin- 

 sulas jutting generally to the N.W., with narrow seas intervening — these seas 

 being in m^ny places almost joined by contractions or isthmuses of a low 

 character, having on them chains of lakes connected by rivulets. These fiords 

 strongly resemble in character those of Norway, and the south extremity of the 

 American Continent about Cape Horn. 



If permitted to theorise, I should say they were occasioned by two great 

 causes — the rush of a water off the land during the summer-thaws, which, 

 during ages, have gradually worked gullies into ravines and ravines into fiords ; 

 whilst, upon the other hand, the wear and tear of tides and ice have materially 

 aided wherever a rush of fresh water from the land was helping to disintegrate 

 the rock and soil. 



I often, when first visiting those regions, wondered at the non-existence of 

 rivers of any great size in those great islands. I witnessed, for nine months in 

 the year, an incessant fall of snow, sleet, and frozen spiculse, and how the 

 escape of such a vast body of water could take place by a few ravines I could 

 not understand. I fancied, then, the interior must in summer be one exten- 



