108 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
channel between the land and the ice is sufficiently 
wide for our purpose, being at an average from two 
to three leagues in breadth, and the least depth of 
water that we have sounded in has been seventeen 
fathoms, and it was supposed that we were on a bank, 
for we were at the time about five miles from the 
land. I believe I have omitted to mention that 
no land has been seen to the southward since the 
24th of last month, all the islands that we have 
passed since, being to the northward of us. 
The same paucity of animals, as I observed yes- 
terday, still exists ; a solitary Phalarope was the only 
bird seen to-day, and one or two seals were all that 
we saw of the watery inhabitants. 
Thursday, 2d.—'The wind having died away 
about noon, two boats were sent ashore to make ob- 
servations, and to afford a party of the officers an 
opportunity of having an excursion on the land that 
we have been coasting along during these two days. 
We found it to be inhabited, like the island we 
landed on, on Saturday last, by musk-oxen and rein- 
deer: of the latter we saw a couple, but they 
were so frightened at the sight of a dog we had with 
us, that we could not get near them. 
From the immense number of cloven tracks, and 
the great number of deer and musk-oxen’s horns 
which we met with, it is very clear that this land 
must be well stocked with these animals; a great 
part indeed of the body and skin of one of the latter 
was found in such a perfect state, that there was no 
doubt of its having been killed this summer. The 
hair was exceedingly long, and as fine as any wool ; 
its prevailing colour was black, mixed with a little 
