1875 CAPE BEECHEY. 121 



we obtained the wished for view. Sinking as we did 

 into soft snow up to our knees at each step, the ex- 

 ertion w T as excessive, and the exact manner in which 

 the footsteps of the leader were followed testified to the 

 severity of the labour. Egerton, w T ho had been chasing 

 musk-oxen all the previous night over somewhat 

 similar ground, was fairly tired before we returned on 

 board. Our scramble bore good fruits, for we had the 

 pleasing prospect of beholding a water-channel extend- 

 ing along shore nearly as far as Cape Union, and also 

 of seeing that the ice resting against Cape Beechey, 

 which cut us off from the channel, was slowly opening. 

 During our excursion we secured our first living speci- 

 men of the lemming (My odes torquatus) which we 

 afterwards found to be common in Grinnell Land. 

 Feilden had previously found its remains in the pellets 

 rejected by the snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca), in Twin 

 Glacier Valley, much farther south. I recognized in this 

 lemming an old acquaintance dating from my former 

 Melville Island experiences. The distribution of this 

 little rodent over nearly the whole circumpolar area 

 is a very interesting fact. 



Signalling to the ship to advance, we hastened to 

 retrace our steps, and got on board just as the vessel 

 was moving off. Passing Wrangel Bay at 8 p.m., we 

 arrived off the beetling cliffs forming Cape Frederick 

 VII., which rise direct from the sea without any 

 adhering ice-foot. There a very large and heavy Hoe 

 was driving towards the shore impelled by the 

 southerly moving pack. It was a close and very 

 anxious race to pass it without being crushed against 

 the precipitous cliffs. Lincoln Bay was reached at 



