59 



if it be true as stated to me, that, upon occasion of the birthday of the late 

 King of Sweden, even the firing of a salute occupied two days, which 

 was explained by the circumstance that the age of the monarch being 

 above 80 years, it required that number of discharges, and these could 

 only be effected by the garrison at intervals of half-an-hour. 



Having waited two extra days in the hope of receiving letters by the 

 missing steamer, we departed on the morning of the 11th of July, on 

 the most northern section of our tour, having determined to sail but a 

 short distance on each day, and to occupy as much time as we 

 conveniently could in dredging. It was accordingly on the afternoon of 

 the loth that we weathered the North Cape, having worked hard in the 

 interval, and procured several interesting moUusca, such as a fine live 

 specimen of the new Triforis, numerous specimens of Margarita 

 Alabastrum, Lamellaria prodita, &c. We were fortunate in having fine 

 smooth weather for doubling the great northern promontory, which is a 

 grand and imposing object, about a thousand feet high, and perpen- 

 dicular, with deep snow lying in some of the hollows and ravines. We 

 anchored at the head of a bay or rather small fiord, which, from the 

 east side, runs southward about five miles. The wind being light, we 

 landed about 7 o'clock in the evening, before the yacht had reached her 

 anchorage, in order to go to the top of the cape, which we found to be 

 a much more arduous, not to say dangerous, undertaking than we had 

 anticipated, having no guide to direct us as to the easiest or best way of 

 accomplishing it. The landing was extremely bad, among large slip- 

 pery masses of rounded rock, and after it was accomplished, (not 

 without some of the party getting up to their middle in the sea,) we had 

 to scale a precipitous mountain side, large fragments of stone, loosened 

 by our hands or feet, occasionally thundering down to the imminent 

 peril of any of the party who might be so imprudent as to be behind. 

 After attaining a considerable elevation, our progress was easier, 

 through a tract covered with stunted brushwood, and afterwards over 

 a barren waste abounding with Ptarmigans and Golden Plovers, of 

 which, as Mr. Barrett carried a fowling piece, we managed to bag one 

 or two. A pool of water occupying a hollow among the hills, we walked 

 across upon snow covered ice. Here, as upon various other occasions, 

 we observed the phenomenon of pink snow, the discovery of which by 

 arctic voyagers some 40 years ago excited much interest. It was after 

 reaching tlie cape itself that the real danger existed, as it is very sub- 

 ject to dense fogs, and had one of these come on, we should have found 

 ourselves in the very unpleasant predicament of having to remain 

 where we were, at the risk of perishing from hunger and exposure 

 should it continue for a few days, or attempting to return, when escape 



