1876 FORMATION OF A RAISED BEACH. 07 



seaward, each heavy piece of the passing ice planes oil* 

 the sea floor immediately outside of the wall, and thus 

 assists in the first formation of the step. 



; The thaw in the neighbourhood of the United 

 States Eange is considerably in advance of that in this 

 neighbourhood. Here the purple saxifrage is now in 

 blossom, and the sloping grounds are fairly carpeted 

 with its bright patches. The Arctic plants that have 

 been sheltered during the winter by the snow have 

 their seed-pods left on them ; seeds are therefore 

 readily obtainable. A few patches of dwarf sorrel are 

 commencing to sprout, and grasses are appearing in 

 very favoured places. 



' Mr. White has shot a snowy owl, and brought on 

 board its six young ones and one ea'g from the nest.' 



At Discovery Bay seven owlets were obtained on 

 the 29th of June. These birds were kept alive and 

 thrived well, being fed on preserved meat and a few 

 boatswain birds which happened to be obtainable at 

 the time, until the damp weather was met with on the 

 passage home, when they all died. 



' 12th. — A crack in the ice half a mile in length, 

 extending to the north-east from Cape Eawson, was 

 observed by Dr. Moss. 



6 Our complexions are now very different from their 

 blanched appearance during the winter. Owing to the 

 constant sunlight and intense glare, we are as brown as 

 if we had been exposed to a tropical sun. It is remark- 

 able how considerably the constant sunlight had 

 bleached the hair on the travellers' faces during the 

 recent journeys. 



' 15 th. — Owing to the danger of being carried off 



