264 ILLNESS OF HOBSON. Chap. XVI. 



or ancient beaches, being the parts most free from snow, 

 showed out strongly in long, dark, horizontal lines, rising 

 above each other until lost to view in the interior. Here 

 and there a few fossil shells and corals were picked up ; and 

 four or five willow grouse were shot. 



i^th June. — We passed from limestone to granite in lat. 

 71 io' N. Here the land attains to considerable elevation. 

 In the hollows of the dark granite rocks we found abun- 

 dance of water, and also in a few places upon the sea-ice ; 

 it was quite evident that in another day or two the snow 

 would altogether yield to the warmth of summer; birds 

 were now frequently seen. 



We discovered a narrow channel to the eastward of the 

 one between the Tasmania Group, through which we had 

 passed with so much difficulty in April ; our new channel 

 was covered with smooth ice, and was also much shorter. 



At one of our depots lately visited, a note left by Hobson 

 informed me of his being six days in advance of me, and also 

 of his own serious illness ; for many days past he had been 

 unable to walk, and was consequently conveyed upon the 

 sledge ; his men were hastening home with all their strength 

 and speed, in order to get him under the Doctor's care. We 

 also were doing our best to push on, lest the bursting out of 

 melting snow from the various ravines should render the ice 

 impassable. 



On the 15 th the snow upon the ice everywhere yielded to 

 the effects of increased temperature ; I was indeed most 

 thankful at its having remained firm so long. To make any 

 progress at all after this date was of course a very great 

 labour, requiring the utmost efforts of both the men and the 

 dogs ; nor was the freezing mixture through which we 

 trudged by any means agreeable : we were often more than 

 knee-deep in it. 



We succeeded in reaching False Strait on the morning of 



