CHAP. V. 3 PARHELION. 305 



year. During the night there was repeated 

 noise among the ice ; but as it was rather that of 

 easing down than the harsh grating of pressure, 

 it did not much affect us. Twice we sounded 

 in thirty fathoms, and about two miles off shore 

 in twenty- two fathoms, the bottom being com- 

 posed of rock, shells, and mud. 



Daylight of the 7th showed that we had 

 already gone and were still going rapidly to the 

 south-east, along a hilly coast, apparently con- 

 sisting of barren rocks with precipitous cliffs, 

 based upon a low shelving slope, which passed 

 imperceptibly into the shore ice ; both being 

 covered with snow, and only distinguishable, in 

 some places near the margin, by the black tops 

 of protruding rocks. Here, then, was a totally 

 different formation from the smooth and rounded 

 low tract lately passed, and answered better to 

 the land about Seahorse Point. 



There was a beautiful parhelion for a short 

 time, while a W. S. W. breeze was blowing: 

 about a great quantity of small snow, but it soon 

 disappeared. At noon the coast was distinctly 

 seen from S. E. £ S. to Mount Minto at W. ^ N., 

 terminating at the furthest east abruptly in a 

 bluff point. There was another bluff something 

 nearer to us. In the afternoon lanes of water 

 opened out between us and the shore ; but as 

 the wind blew very fresh off the land, it only 



x 



