TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 199 
where we dined. Shortly after we started, this 
morning, we came to a small lake about half a mile 
in length, and two hundred yards in breadth; a 
considerable part of it was clear of ice, which led 
us to suppose that two Eider ducks: that flew past 
us, a little while before we went thither, had come 
from it. Soon after we passed this lake, we saw 
several ptarmigans, and in the course of the night 
shot seven of them as we went along. Between 
two and three o’clock in the morning, we got to the 
north-west end of a range of hills, which terminate 
the view to the northward from Winter Harbour. 
From the top of these hills we could see the ships’ 
masts very plainly with the naked eye, the distance 
being, as near as we could judge, tenor eleven miles. 
From these hills also we had a very extensive view 
of an immense plain extending to the northward 
and westward of us. It was completely covered 
with snow, and so level, that, had we not been con- 
vinced that it was considerably higher than Winter 
Harbour, we should have been apt to suppose it was 
the sea; but as this objection could not be started 
against its being a large lake, some were of opinion 
that it was so; on approaching the border of it, 
however, we were soon satisfied that it was only a 
Jevel plain. Our route from the time of our leav- 
ing the ships, until we came in sight of this plain, 
was over ground, generally speaking, pretty even, 
but gradually ascending : its surface, for the greater 
part of the way, was at least more than two-thirds co- 
vered with snow. Soon after we got to the confines 
of the plain above-mentioned, we saw a reindeer, 
and a fawn coming across.it from the southward, 
oO 4 
