SOUTHAMPTON ISLAND. 51 



shallow lakes^ were a variety of the usual ^^' 

 beach birds, and a few pin-tailed ducks ; and ^^S^^^' 

 on the banks of a large piece of water were 

 the remains of three Esquimaux summer cir- 

 cles, moss-grown, and apparently long for- 

 saken. There were no other traces of natives 

 having been recently near the spot until we 

 came to the beach, where we unexpectedly 

 saw the footing of a man and dog, which we 

 traced as having followed the track of the ship 

 as she sailed past the beach. The marks were 

 quite fresh, and near them was the recent path 

 of a large bear. In the few plants we pro- 

 cured, the flowers had given place to the 

 seed, which in some specimens was already 

 quite matured. We also picked up two 

 small splinters of drift wood, but so much 

 decayed that they were at first supposed to be 

 asbestos. At twenty minutes past two P.M. 

 the ice in the offing began to set at the rate of 

 a knot from the southward, but the tide, which 

 had already fallen ten feet, was still ebbing. 

 That portion of the shore which w^as now un- 

 covered, was of lime-stone rock, running out 

 to seaward in flat steps or ledges, and amongst 

 the stones the boat's crew caught two small 

 species of rock fish. 

 At three we left the beach, and passing 



E 2 



