1875 CAPE ISABELLA. 57 



the cape. After an extremely rough scramble up one 

 of the gullies, a cairn was erected on the outer spur 

 of Cape Isabella, 700 feet above the water-line ; a 

 cask for letters and a few cases of preserved meat beino- 

 hidden away on a lower point, about 300 feet high, 

 magnetic west of the cairn. Cape Isabella is formed of 

 a fine-grained grey granite and a coarse orthoclase 

 granite, the difference in colour between these two 

 rocks being very distinctly shown on the face of the 

 cliffs. While the party was on shore the surf on the 

 rocks prevented the boat remaining at the landing 

 place; on their return at 5 p.m., we proceeded to the 

 northward, the weather continuing misty with snow. 



At 4 a.m., of the 30th, having run thirty-eight miles 

 by the patent log, we stopped steaming and waited 

 for the weather to clear. During the night we had 

 passed a quantity of loose pack-ice which obliged us 

 to keep well out from the coast. At 5 a.m., we ob- 

 served the ' Discovery ' close to the land, with five or 

 six miles of heavy pack-ice cutting us off both from 

 her and the shore. Although the land was hidden by 

 fog the atmosphere at sea was clear and the weather 

 calm. Perceiving a likely-looking channel leading to 

 the westward, we steamed towards it, but before 

 reaching the entrance it closed up and prevented our 

 -advance. At 9 a.m., an hour before high- water, on 

 the slackening of the flood or north-running tide, the 

 ice opened considerably. Observing that the ' Dis- 

 covery ' was not moving, we bore into the pack, and 

 at 3.30 p.m., succeeded with a little trouble in gaining 

 the land and securing the ships in a convenient harbour 

 formed by a group of rocky islands. These we sup- 



