116 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
learn, those who went for it, had not the good for- 
tune to fall in with the spot where the best kind 
was seen yesterday. Another article of fuel was 
found to-day, however, which, if we should have 
the good luck to find in a considerable quantity, 
will be of the most essential benefit to us. ‘The 
article I allude to is coal, several small pieces of 
which was discovered by different persons scattered 
about on the surface of the ground ; but not in spffi- 
cient quantity to be of any use, except as specimens 
of mineralogy. All the pieces that I saw were of 
a slatey texture, light, and burnt quickly with a clear 
white flame, and its colour had something of a 
brownish tinge. The basis of this portion of the coast 
is composed of white sandstone, and the greatest part 
of the surface of the little peninsula * on which we 
landed, was also covered with loose fragments of the 
same material. The vegetable productions at this 
place were less abundant than where we landed on 
the 2d instant to the eastward, but our stay on shore 
was so short, that we saw very little of the country ; 
though, if we were to judge from the general appear- 
ance of the land, we should suppose it to be equally 
productive with any other part that we have yet seen 
of this coast. No quadruped of any kind was visible, 
but we observed traces of the place being frequented 
by reindeer, and musk-oxen, for besides their tracks 
being very numerous, several of their horns and bones 
were found scattered about. Of the feathered tribe 
* This peninsula was formed by a sort of open bay on one 
side, and a little inlet or harbour on the other; one of the boats 
sounded the mouth of this harbour, and found the greatest depth 
of water to be only fourteen feet. 
