1876 PACK-ICE OFF CAPE BREVOORT. 305 



the travellers would find a low shore and fair travelling ; 

 but as the land is upwards of thirty miles distant, we 

 hope that we are deceived. In consequence of the drift 

 of the pack towards the east before the prevailing 

 winds which appear to blow continuously from the 

 westward, the coast between Cape Brevoort and Cape 

 Stanton, lying at right angles to the course of the ice, 

 is sure to be an extremely wild one with regard to 

 ice-pressure. Should there be cliffs and the sledges 

 forced to take to the pack, the travelling will neces- 

 sarily be extremely heavy. 



'Lieutenant Eawson and Mr. Egerton returned 

 from Greenland this evening, having succeeded in 

 crossing the strait without more than the usual diffi- 

 culties amongst the heavy ice hummocks, which they 

 have now become so accustomed to. They landed on the 

 coast near the Eepulse Harbour of the chart, and report 

 the land there to be of the same formation as Grant 

 Land and that the floebergs near the shore are, if 

 anything, larger, and denote more pressure from the 

 pack than those on this shore. The ladder sledge is 

 stated to be well fitted for the work it was intended 

 for, namely, travelling over the surface of a glacier. 

 Much to my disappointment no trace of any game was 

 seen, one fox-track only being noticed. 



6 Lieutenant Beaumont has been busy all day 

 weighing out provisions for his journey, and also 

 some for a more lengthened trip in the spring of 1877. 

 When I can spare men for the duty these will be 

 taken across the channel and formed into a depot. 

 Three of his crew are too tall for their blanket bags, 

 which therefore have to be lengthened. 

 vol. I. x 



