Gape Ghidley — Port Bunvell. 57 



it became evident from appearances that we had hit upon an excel- 

 lent harbour. The Neptune was taken into the bay with great 

 care, and anchored in ten fathoms of water at five o'clock of a 

 beautiful evening. As soon as the clanking of the anchor's chains 

 had ceased, Lieutenant Gordon said : " This place shall be called Port 

 Burwell, in honour of Mr. Burwell, the observer, who is to take 

 charge here ; " and Port Burwell it was called accordingly. We made 

 a landing immediately. 



Port Burwell is. a pretty cove or bay, well sheltered by Flat 

 Point on the north and a lonely high circular projection of the land 

 on the south, which we called Cape William Smith, in honour of the 

 Deputy- Minister of Marine. The entrance is well guarded from the 

 north-west winds, and is one of the finest harbours of Hudson Strait, 

 probably the best. The holding ground is good, and there is room 

 in the basin to accommodate from fifty to a hundred ships. The 

 harbour is, in one sense, almost a landlock. In it a vessel could 

 outride the worst possible storm in perfect security. The water is 

 from ten to twenty fathoms. 



The place was fairly alive with cod, and the men belonging to 

 the ship took some ten or twelve quintals in a few days. The 

 shores were for the most part high and rocky, but there are one or 

 two gently sloping ravines, covered with a sort of bog-turf. Even 

 the summits have in some places a rough, thin garment of moss. 



On the evening of our arrival, in company with the Expedition 

 geologist, I made a voyage along the coast, to discover what we 

 might and enjoy ourselves hunting. We were accommodated with 

 one of the Neptune's boats and two men, or rather a man and 

 boy Johnny. Our little excursion also included Mr. Fox and Mr. 

 Skynner, of Toronto. 



I mention this side expedition particularly, because we made an 

 important discovery, and met with very much of interest. This 

 discovery was an addition to geography in the way of a channel 

 running through from Ungava Bay to the ocean on the Labrador 

 coast. I do not refer to the channel some twenty miles south of 

 the cape, indicated on the published maps, but to one hitherto 

 unknown (but supposed by Lieutenant-commanding Alexander 



