wintering IN THE BAY 33 
supplied, it would probably prove an excellent place for a post 
from which to control the whale fishery. The water supply, 
obtained from small pools in the rocks, is rather bad, owing to 
the number of dogs and natives about. 
Two days were occupied in crossing from Whale point to 
Southampton island, and as roes Welcome was full of floating 
ice, several exciting moments were experienced when the ice 
came together with each change of tide, threatening to crush 
the boats if not quickly hauled out on a convenient heavy pan. 
The monotony was also broken by the capture of a bear and 
several large seals. We remained in company with the whalers 
for two days after reaching the island, and coasted southward to 
Cape Kendall without seeing any sign of a whale. As our work 
was chiefly on land, we then determined to part company, they 
continuing southward while we made inland excursions. The 
ice was still fast to the shore, from which it extended seaward 
from two to six miles. The boats were of necessity at the edge 
of the ice, and the long tramp through deep slush and water 
to and from the shore was fatiguing and cold. Only the ridges 
on the land were free of snow, which was still deep in all the 
hollows. The weather was now sufficiently warm to keep the 
snow soft and wet, and to make a passage from one ridge to 
another necessitated wading waist deep through the snow. 
Under these conditions extensive journeys inland were impos- 
sible, and we were confined to the shores of the island. Good 
collections of fossils from the limestones of the island were 
obtained, and a large number of bird skins and eggs were col- 
lected. It was unfortunately too early in the season for plants. 
the Western shores of Southampton are low. The land 
behind rises in a succession of ridges each a few feet higher 
than the one immediately in front. These ridges are formed 
of broken limestone, evidently the surface portion of underlying 
ledges. Very little vegetation grows on the ridges, but in the 
wide depressions between them there is a profusion of grasses 
