1876 ICE IN FKOZEN LAKES. 329 



long journey over the sludgy floe. Snow-buntings in 

 considerable numbers now enlivened us with their 

 sweet happy song, and several knots (Tringa canutus) 

 with small parties of turnstones (Strepsilas interpres) 

 and sanderlings (Calidris arenaria) were feeding on 

 a patch of well-advanced purple saxifrage. 



The bay where we encamped, which I named 

 Knot Harbour, is the most northern sheltered position 

 on the coast. It is open to the north-east, but owing 

 to its narrow entrance, which is not more than a 

 quarter of a mile wide, no large floe could enter. 

 Its neighbourhood appears to support more game than 

 any other position north of Discovery Bay. 



On the 6 th we crossed the land behind Cape 

 Belknap, and encamped on the projecting spit between 

 the Dumbell Lakes, where we were disappointed to 

 find both hill and plain completely covered with snow. 

 In fact, the late snowfall had buried the land deeper 

 than at any time since the previous autumn. 



The ice in Dumbell Lake, which had not yet begun 

 to thaw, was 91 ^ inches thick, and the water from 

 below, when reached, rose to within 8| inches of the 

 surface of the ice. All the water in this lake had 

 certainly not been frozen during the past winter, and 

 afterwards we found that it was well stocked with a 

 small species of charr, Salmo arcturus, Gtinther ; in- 

 deed, we did not ascertain that any of the lakes that 

 contained fish froze to the bottom ; the evidence tended 

 to the contrary. 



On the morning of the 7th, Feilden and I started 

 to walk to the ship, twelve miles distant, where we 

 arrived in the afternoon. The snow from the last 



