CHAP. V.] GULLS, DUCKS, &C. 331 



in the sun. But that which most pleased me, was 

 the sight of a gull flying towards the north-west. 

 I had never known these birds to arrive earlier 

 than the 7th ; and at Fort Reliance, at the east 

 end of Great Slave Lake, more than a degree to 

 the soutli of our position, the same birds did not 

 appear before the 15th of the month. Hence, 

 though no water was visible from the mast-head, 

 I felt confident that there must be some at no 

 great distance from us. The evening was over- 

 cast, and snow continued to fall throughout the 

 better part of the night, but on the next day the 

 sun dispersed the gloom, and the weather, for 

 the first time these several months, became plea- 

 sant. Two rather extensive lanes of water 

 opened out on either side, about a mile away 

 from the ship, and at noon Nottingham Island 

 was still in sight. Some flocks of ducks beino* 

 detected, two of the officers, unable to resist the 

 temptation, went in quest of them. They re- 

 turned in the course of the afternoon, sunburnt 

 and weary, with the acquisition of two loons 

 instead of ducks ; and I cannot but suspect that 

 what before had been taken for ducks were also 

 loons. A few dovekies and three gulls were the 

 only other kinds of birds that had been seen ; 

 but later in the day a white whale showed itself 

 for a few minutes. As the temperature in the 

 shade at,2 h p. m, was 46° + , it was not surprising 



