880 Notice ofsdme neivlj/ diseovered Islands, [Nov. 



prominent or conical as in Scoresby's Sound. The north sides 

 of the mountains were snowy; the south, green. With the 

 exception of a very deep inlet soutli from Robison's Island, the 

 coast was little indented. 



Capt D. was at one time within six or seven miles of the 

 mainland, about forty miles north from Robison's Island, which 

 was considerably verdant, very flat, and apparently about ten 

 miles long, and five broad. 



Sayers Island is rocky and barren, about half a mile long, and 

 one-quarter broad. 



There was little fast and not much drift ice to be met with. 

 A good deal of drift timber was observed floating, and several 

 icebergs grounded along the shore. The current was setting 

 without interruption during the twenty-four hours that the two 

 vessels were in that quarter, south and west, at the rate of one 

 and a half mile per hour. There was no inset or offset of the 

 tides observed. No whales were seen, and few seals, or birds, 

 except kittiwakes ; these were abundant. No appearance of 

 natives. The weather was very sleety. 



Gales Land, therefore, seems to form the imaginary line of 

 coast laid down in Scoresby's Chart, published in his recent 

 " Journal of Discoveries in the Arctic Regions," extending from 

 Cape Barclay in the north to Ollumlongni Frith on the south ; 

 and the island laid down there north of this frith would seem to 

 be what Capt. Duncan has termed Robison's Island : it Ues in 

 about 67° lat. ; 25° long. He was at one time of the day within 

 five miles of it. In the years 1821 and 1822, he had coasted 

 almost all the land described by Scoresby north of Cape Bar- 

 clay ; and was as far as 40 miles up Scoresby's Sound, and h^ 

 bears testimony to the accuracy of that intelligent navigator. 



Jameson's Land he believes to be an island. 

 This voyage, which reflects so much credit on the enterprise 

 and skill of Capt. Duncan, promises to be highly interesting to 

 arctic geography ; and may throw light on the fate of the lost 

 colonies of Greenland ; for it is highly probable that in Gales 

 Land rather than any where else, they may be sought for with 

 some chance of success. From Capt. Duncan's description, 

 neither the climate nor the land seems to be inhospitable, or 

 inaccessible if visited at a favourable period of the year. 

 I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



Lawrence Edmonston. 



I 



