The Northern Expedition. 73 
islands disappear, and nothing is observed but a thin deposit, 
consisting of granulated black bog-mud, varying from one to 
three feet in thickness. This, though destructive for the present 
year, may when dry be burnt, and removed for manure to the 
neighbouring uplands, or left on the spot to fertilize the valley. 
Thus the whole distance which the bog has fiowed is about 
three miles in length, namely, one mile and a half in the bog, 
and the same distance over the moory valley; and the extent co- 
vered amounts to about 150 acres. 
I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient humble 
servant, RicHaRD GRIFFITH, mining engineer, 
THE NORTHERN EXPEDITION, 
We have been favoured with the following interesting extract 
of a letter from one of the gentlemen employed on the northern 
expedition: 
** His Majesty’s ship Fury, Hudson’s Bay, the 
Coast of America, June 26, 1821. 
*< | take the opportunity of writing you, by the return of the 
Nautilus transport, which accompanied us to carry our heavy 
stores, We have had an excellent passage from the Orkneys to 
this part of the world; the weather, however, since we have been 
here, has not been so favourable. 
“* We have made two attempts to unload the transport, having 
made fast to icebergs for that purpose, but have been blown off 
successively by heavy gales, with the loss of some of our boats 
from the deck, and no small share of tribulation for the trans- 
port, which has not heen properly fortified for the ice. She has 
come off, however, very well, considering everything, having only 
lost the copper from her bows. We are now taking advantage 
of a fine day, and hope to get rid of her in a day or two, and to 
proceed on our destination. 
«We made an island about a week ago, called Resolution 
Island, where we expected to see some Indians ; but there was 
so much ice between the ships and the land, that we could not 
get in. / 
“I can hardly give you an idea of our intended route, or, 
more properly, of our ideal route ; first, because our course must, 
in a great measure, depend upon the state of the ice ; secondly, 
for want of a chart ; for those in common use are so incorrect in 
the general outline of the coast, as to be perfectly useless. If, 
however, you should fall in with a good map of the country, I 
will tell you the track we shall endeavour to take. 
** After making Cape Farewell, the southern extremity of 
Greenland, in lat. 59. N. and long. 44. W. we proceeded nearly 
due west between Cape Chidley, on the Labrador Coast, and Re- 
Vol. 58. No, 279. July 1821, K solution 
