Hayes.] 392 [December. 



a survey of that portion of the west coast of Smith Strait lying be- 

 tween capes Sabine and Frazer, but the unfavorable circumstances of 

 that survey had occasioned some errors which I am glad to have had 

 opportunity to ascertain and correct. 



Our further geographical 'results embrace the completion of the 

 survey of the coast lines of Whale Sound, and the re-survey of all 

 the coasts between Wolstenholme Sound and Littleton Island. In 

 that survey is embraced a shore-line of about 600 miles. Of the five 

 islands laid down on Captain Inglefield's and Dr. Kane's charts, as 

 being in the mouth of Whale Sound, we could find only three. 



In physical geography I have obtained some interesting materials. 

 Soon after entering winter harbor, I made, in connection with Mr. 

 Sonntag, a survey of a glacier which approaches the sea through a 

 valley opening from the head of the bay in which we wintered. This 

 had been discovered by Dr. Kane, and by him named My Brother 

 John's Glacier. Its face is nearly two miles from the sea, which it 

 is gradually approaching. With the view of determining its rate 

 of progress, we ascended to its upper surfiice and carefully measured 

 a base-line in its axis. From either end of this base-line angles 

 were taken, connecting it with fixed objects upon the mountains on 

 each side. Lateral stations were Dext established, and these were 

 connected with the base-line, and with the before-mentioned fixed 

 objects. The angles were repeated by me after an interval of eight 

 months, and the result showed a downward movement of the glacier, 

 amounting to ninety-four feet. 



In October I performed a journey upon this glacier and the mer 

 lie fjlace to the eastward of it, penetrating about fifty miles into the 

 interior. Our angle of ascent was, at first, about six degrees, de- 

 creasing gradually to from one to two degrees. The surface was at 

 first somewhat broken and irregular, but as we advanced it became 

 smooth and the ascent regular. Our elevation upon setting out to 

 return was estimated at about 5000 feet, when we were quite out of 

 sight of land. 



The physical conditions observed in Kennedy Channel are, perhaps, 

 among the most important of my results. It was in that channel, and 

 to the northward of it, as I have before observed, that Morton disco- 

 vered an open sea late in June, 1854. I did not find open water, 

 but the ice was everywhere much decayed, often being so thin that 

 it would not bear my party; and in some places pools of water were 

 visible. In one of these pools a flock of waterfowl, the Uria (jinjl- 

 lae, were observed. My stay in Kennedy Channel was from the 12th 



