A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 185 



a seal-skin as a seat, which was scarcely raised above the 

 surface of the snow. None but the youth last mentioned 

 wore any thing as covering for the head. He had a cap 

 neatly formed of dog-skin, but was ready to part with it 



which is very well sheltered and capacious, running veiy deep within 

 the islands, and having a fine open entrance. Horsehead is the 

 southern extremity of Hickson's Bay. The whale hunters give the 

 name of Frow Islands to all the islands northward of the seventy- 

 third degree ; and to every recess, no matter how distinct fi-om each 

 other, they assign, in equal en-or, the name of Hickson's Bay ; but 

 the one now mentioned is that propei'ly so called. This bay derives 

 its name from a master of a ship, who was very successful in killing 

 whales within it. They formerly resorted to this bay in gi'eat 

 numbers ; but from the repeated persecution of the whalers, they are 

 seldom seen now in any continuance there. Sugar-loaf Mountain 

 appears very high over the islands on the north side of Hickson's 

 Bay.* After passing the last-mentioned bay, a string of islands 

 irregularly elevated present themselves for a short distance, when a 

 fine open and deep sound comes into view, with some peaked hUls 

 beyond its centre : delphinus leucas, larus maximus, terna hirundo, 

 colymbus troile and giylle, procellaria glacialis. 



Ice no longer in sight, save the immense bergs around, which 

 mislead the eye by then- resemblance to islands : at seven p. m. the 

 wind again set in at N.E. fresh breeze : cirrostratus generally, but 



* There are some dangerous rocks near those islands, which should make 

 the navigator cautious of entering the bay on the north side. 



2 B 



