232 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
impression, therefore, I shall deviate from my 
former plan of giving the occurrences of every day 
separately, in the order in which they happened, 
and endeavour to comprise and arrange every thing 
worthy of notice under different heads, in regular 
succession. In the first place, then, with respect 
to the country, although we were here «only 
ten days, it was surprising to see the great change 
that took place. On first going out we found 
the greatest part of the low land covered with 
snow, and the streams of water that flowed from 
it, had not then formed into any regular channels, 
but were spread all over the plains near the coast, 
making them as it were one entireswamp. Before 
we came in, however, these swamps had in a great 
measure been drained of their water, which formed 
three or four streams (within the space of five or 
six miles) so that we used generally to distinguish 
them by the name of rivers, and one or two of 
them indeed were of such magnitude for some 
time, as not to be altogether undeserving the ap- 
pellation. ‘These streams passed through many 
small Jakes, which appeared generally to be very 
shallow. We saw two or three lakes, however, 
amongst the mountains, which, from the character 
of the land around them, we had reason to sup- 
pose were of considerable depth ; and I remarked 
this difference between them, that the lakes on the 
low land were clear of ice, whilst those amongst the 
hills were almost entirely covered with it. Vegeta- 
tion was very far advanced indeed by the time that 
we returned, for on some spots where there was 
moisture and good soil, the grass was from two to 
three inches long ; and the sorrel was so abundant 
