34 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 
and other Arctic plants on the wet ground surrounding the 
many ponds and lakes found there. The shores and islands of 
these lakes are the breeding grounds of a number of rare birds, 
among which may be mentioned Sabine's Gull, Arctic Tern, 
Whistling Swan, Hutchen's Goose, Snow Goose, Jager, Little 
Blue Crane and Red Phalarope. 
The water is usually very shallow for two or three miles from 
the land, and reefs of limestone extend much farther out. 
About Cape Kendall dangerous reefs are found at least eight 
miles from the land. 
we remained on the island a week, gradually working north- 
ward, until we were about ten miles to the north of our original 
landing place, or some forty miles beyond Cape Kendall. 
Advantage was taken of a fine evening to re-cross roes Wel- 
come, and we started at midnight in broad daylight. Shortly 
after leaving, a large whale came to the surface close to the boats 
and remained in the vicinity for upwards of thirty minutes. 
The crossing was safely made during the day, the only incident 
being the meeting in mid-channel of an extensive mass of very 
heavy ice, some of its pinnacles being upwards of thirty feet 
above the water; the natives said it was a large floe from Fox 
channel. We were obliged to sail several miles to the north- 
ward in order to pass this floe, and so reached the mainland a 
few miles south of the mouth of Wager inlet, and a like distance 
from Yellow bluff, where the Aivilliks spend the late summer. 
Nothing of note occurred on the passage down the coast, and 
the ship was again reached on the 2nd of July. 
Little change was apparent in the condition of the ice since 
our departure, and the solid floe, extending a couple of miles 
beyond the harbour, gave little hope of the ship being released 
by the approaching high tides. The ship was now ready to 
leave as soon as the ice would permit, but this did not happen 
until the 18th, a marvellous change taking place daily in the 
condition of the ice for a week previous to that date. 
