126 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



considerably higher than those to the eastward, the greater part 

 of the interior being above 1,000 feet, while in the southern 

 part the plateau reaches an altitude of 3,000 feet. The soil 

 from the Carboniferous rocks being richer and deeper than that 

 on the bare limestone islands, supports a good growth of arctic 

 vegetation, and in consequence the valleys leading to the coast 

 are the feeding grounds of large bands of musk-oxen, barren- 

 ground caribou and arctic hares, this abundance of animal life 

 being in marked contrast to that on the barren limestone islands. 

 The lowlands bordering the sea in the northwest part of the 

 island are formed of Miocene-Tertiary deposits, containing 

 numerous trees allied to those now covering the wooded northern 

 parts of the mainland, far to the southward. The presence of 

 these trees shows that, in the period before the Ice-age, the 

 climate of these northern islands must have been much warmer 

 than at present. 



ISLANDS OF GKOUP IV. 



The island of Ellesmere is only second in size to Baffin island, 

 and is remarkable for its north end extending to beyond the 

 eighty-third parallel of jST. latitude, or to within 500 miles of 

 the Xorth Pole. Its length from north to south covers nearly 

 seven degrees of latitude, or approximately 500 miles; its 

 greatest breadth across the northern part exceeds 200 miles. 

 Being deeply indented by large bays both on its east and west 

 sides, its outline is quite irregular. Smith sound, and its north- 

 ern extensions Kennedy and Robeson channels, separate the 

 eastern shores of Ellesmere from the northern part of Green- 

 land. 



The general elevation of the island is high, and probably 

 exceeds 2,500 feet. In the northern part the United States 

 mountains are upwards of 4,000 feet high, while isolated peaks 

 of this range reach a height of almost 5,000 feet. It is remark- 

 able that this high northern land is not covered with a 



