44 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIRANDA. 



had a thermometer with them, which would stand at per- 

 haps below the freezing-point early in the morning, but by 

 high noon the mercury sometimes mounted upward of a hun- 

 dred degrees in the sun. None of the party, however, suf- 

 fered any ill effects. They enjoyed perfect health, and were 

 greatly pleased with their outing. 



On the evening of July 21 Professor Hite and his party, 

 consisting of Messrs. Howard Bucknell, George M. Coates, 

 and Gr. H. Perkins, of Philadelphia, left the ship to start 

 upon their journey into the interior of Labrador. Professor 

 Hite's original intention had been to land in the neighbor- 

 hood of Kigolette, but the iceberg incident caused him to 

 make a change of plan. As the small party of explorers 

 rowed away from the ship in two little skiffs, towing their 

 tents and provisions in tenders behind them, they were given 

 three rousing cheers. 



The party made their way to Independent Harbor on the 

 regular mail-boat which runs during the summer from Cape 

 Charles. From there they secured passage in a small boat to 

 Separation Point, a narrow point of land separating the White 

 Bear from the Eagle Eiver. Here a cache was made for pro- 

 visions, and the party started to explore the White Bear 

 Eiver. On the second day they came to a cataract sixty feet 

 in height. Mr. Bucknell had been taken quite ill, so a camp 

 was pitched at the foot of the falls, and he was left in 

 the care of Mr. Coates, while Professor Hite and Mr. Perkins 

 continued the exploration of the river, which they ascended a 

 distance of nearly two hundred miles from its mouth. The 

 river terminated in a chain of small lakes. Upon returning 

 to the camp Mr. Bucknell's condition had not improved, and 

 he was sent over to Cartwright, the most southern and eastern 

 Hudson Bay trading-post on the Labrador shore. The other 

 members of the party then continued the exploration of the 

 Eagle and Paradise rivers. On the banks of the Paradise 



