In the Arctic Regions. 443 



campment ; the idled pebbles on the beach \ 

 sandstone of red and Light-brown colors, one, 



and slaty limestone. We gathered a fine specimen 

 of tertiary pitch-coal. 



Augustus returned in the evening with a young 

 Esquimaux and Ins wife, the only residents at the 

 house lie had visited. They had now quite recovered 

 the panic into which they had been thrown on our 

 first appearance, which was heightened by their being 

 unable to escape from us owing to the want of a canoe. 

 We made them happy by purchasing the fish thej 

 brought, and giving them a few presents ; they con- 

 tinned to skip and laugh as long as they staid. The 

 man informed ns that judging from the rapid d< 

 of the ice in the few preceding days, we might soon 

 expect it to break from the land, so as to allow of 

 our reaching Herschel Island, which was in view ; bul 

 he re], resented the coast to the west ward of the island 



as being low, and bo generally beset with ice, thai he 

 was of opinion we should have greal difficulty in get- 

 ting along. This couple had been left here to collect 

 fish for the use of their companions, who were to re- 

 join them for the purpose of killing whales, as soon 

 as the ice Bhould break up ; and they told us the 



black whales would BOOU conic after its rupture took 



place. It would be interesting to ascertain wh< 



the whales retire in the winter, as they require to in- 



