1875 THE ' ALERTS ' ANCHORAGE. 129 



forming a raised beach, which, where the land is steadily 

 rising and the incline of the shore favourable, attains 

 a considerable thickness. 



To the north of Eobeson Channel, where the land 

 trends to the north-westward the coast line loses its 

 steep character, and near Cape Sheridan the heavy Polar 

 ice becomes stranded at a distance of one hundred to 

 two hundred yards from the shore, forming a border of 

 unconnected masses of ice from twenty to upwards of 

 sixty feet in height lying aground in from eight to 

 twelve fathoms water. 



Off an open coast, with no more protection than 

 that afforded by such pieces of ice, the ' Alert ' was 

 fated to pass the winter. Most providentially during 

 the eleven months she was thus exposed we never 

 once experienced a gale blowing towards the shore. 



VOL. I. 



