SUMMER CBUISE 51 



the ice-cap of the interior. The cliffs of limestone have been 

 deeply sculptured by all the streams of water, great and small, 

 so that the coast resembles on a gigantic scale the banks of a 

 stream flowing through a clay country. This portion of the 

 coast extending to Beechey island at the southwest point of 

 North Devon, is deeply indented with many long narrow bays 

 similar to Cuming creek, in which we were anchored. While 

 there, landings were made to collect plants and fossils, and an 

 attempt was made to reach the tableland, but proved unsuccess- 

 ful owing to the impossibility of scaling the perpendicular cliff 

 near the summit. The land about the bay was particularly 

 desolate and barren, the little vegetation found being along the 

 courses of the small streams. No trace of land animals was 

 seen. Walruses and seals were observed sporting in the waters 

 of the bay, and a large colony of Burgomaster gulls pointed to 

 the presence of fish. 



The anchor was lifted at eight o'clock on the evening of the 

 14th, and two hours later we were steaming westward close 

 under the cliffs in order to make a survey of the coast. This 

 was completed to Beechey island by eleven o'clock next morn- 

 ing, when the ship again came to anchor. 



The cliffs to the westward of Cuming creek gradually become 

 lower, and the crystalline rocks below the limestones soon 

 disappear beneath the sea. A few small glaciers discharge into 

 the sea in the neighbourhood of that place, but as the coast is 

 followed westward the ice-cap retreats inland, and is finally 

 lost sight of, nothing being left to break the monotony of the 

 dirty yellow colour of the limestone except a few patches of 

 struggling vegetation that increase towards the westward where 

 the climate is evidently milder. 



As many of the crew as could be spared were allowed to land 

 at Beechey island to visit this historic spot, where the ill-fated 

 and heroic Franklin and the crews of the Erebus and Terror 



