84 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. August 



season as it does in Melville Bay and other southern 

 positions; but when once it begins to form, the sun 

 being lower at noon it does not thaw so readily during 

 the day. 



The weather Was provokingly calm during the 10th 

 with light rain falling. In our neighbourhood the ice 

 remained perfectly still, although in the offing it was ob- 

 served to be moving with the tidal currents. A second 

 walrus was harpooned, which gave seven more casks 

 of meat and insured the dogs being well fed for some 

 time to come. During the enforced delay an oppor- 

 tunity was taken to obtain a haul with the dredge and 

 trawl along the bottom, in a depth of thirteen fathoms, 

 which proved to be rich in animal life. Five or six 

 species of fish were obtained : nine or ten species of 

 Mollusca ; Echinodermata were very numerous, and the 

 meshes of the trawl entangled many Comaiulce {Ante- 

 don Eschrichtii). These beautiful crinoids, closing and 

 opening their pinnules when exposed to the atmosphere, 

 reminded us of sensitive plants ; Echinus drobachiensis 

 was most abundant. The tangles came up perfectly 

 covered, and it required numerous pairs of scissors 

 and many willing hands to clear them previous to 

 each descent of the dredge. The variety and richness 

 of the captures made us regret that the ever-pressing 

 necessity of advancing northward whenever an opening 

 in the ice admitted, prevented us from using the dredge 

 more frequently. 



On the 11th the upper clouds were passing from the 

 N.W., but situated as we were under the lofty cliffs of 

 Cape Prescott, the weather was perfectly calm with fog 

 and a light rain. As we expected that calm weather, 



