SUMMER CRUISE 59 



solid ice near the mouth of the inlet. The whales come in July 

 and sport about the mouth of the inlet until the ice breaks up, 

 when they either follow the solid edge in its retreat up the inlet, 

 or pass southward along the coast. In former years at least 

 half of the whales taken by the Scotch whaling fleet were cap- 

 tured in the vicinity of Ponds inlet. 



Owing to the northwest trend of the south shore the inlet 

 gradually narrows as it is ascended, so that about fifteen miles 

 above Button point, where a high rocky island terminates the 

 southern point, the distance from shore to shore does not greatly 

 exceed three miles. Farther westward it again broadens to 

 twice that distance, and so continues until, turning north, it 

 bounds the western side of Bylot island, where it is known as 

 Navy Board inlet. Two long narrow bays pierce deep into the 

 comparatively flat country of northern Baffin island from the 

 neighbourhood of the bend, and a very fine salmon river empties 

 into the more eastern bay. At the time of our visit the western 

 end of the inlet was still filled with ice, making it impossible 

 to visit this portion. 



About ten miles beyond the narrows we came to anchor close 

 under the steep clay banks of the drift plain on the south side 

 of the inlet, and alongside the Scotch whalers Eclipse and 

 Diana. Shortly after, we were visited by Captain Milne, Cap- 

 tain Adams and Mr. Much of the Albert. 



A great deal of valuable information concerning whales and 

 whaling, as well as about the ice currents and other points relat- 

 ing to the Arctics, was obtained from these gentlemen, all of 

 Avhom have had many years' experience in these regions. Much 

 of this information has been used in the article on whaling, 

 which is printed later in this report. 



Finding that Arctic salmon were plentiful at the mouth of 

 the little river about a mile from the ships, a small net was 

 borrowed, and two boats were sent away to secure a supply of 



