80 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. August 



Behring's Straits report the ice as being from five to six 

 feet high above water, which would allow it to be at 

 least thirty feet in total thickness. Admiral Sir 

 Eichard Collinson mentions having observed a floe 

 aground in forty-two feet of water. And Dr. Kane met 

 with ice aground near Eefuge Harbour, Smith Sound, 

 ' more like icebergs than hummocks,' one of which 

 'rose perpendicularly more than sixty feet.' 



On our arriving off Cape Victoria, Princess Marie 

 Bay was found to be full of one season's ice, evidently 

 formed there during the previous winter and not yet 

 disturbed. It was very rotten, and in many places the 

 surface water-pools, separated by winding passages of 

 apparently weak ice, had eaten their way through the 

 iloe to the sea below. 



The main pack and the stationary land ice met 

 each other two miles north of the cape and prevented 

 our farther advance. The ships were therefore secured 

 at the floe edge and Commander Markham landed to 

 ascertain the state of the ice on the opposite side of 

 the bay. A very thick fog and snowstorm, however, 

 obliged him and Captain Feilden, who accompanied 

 him, to return unsuccessful. At Cape Victoria the 

 cliffs are formed of grey limestone resting on a massive 

 conglomerate. The few fossils procured there were of 

 Upper Silurian age. 



During the afternoon flood-tide, which set to the 

 westward into the bay, the pack closed in and the thin 

 decayed ice, now covered with thick wet snow, became 

 so pressed together that at one time the ' Alert ' was in 

 great danger of being forced on shore. Captain 

 Stephenson keeping farther off shore, was able to force 



