THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIRANDA. 45 



River they found an abundance of plants not noted in the 

 more mountainous districts, and they also came across a great 

 many species of water-birds. They procured a number of 

 seal along this river, and found abundance of trout. On the 

 north side of Sandwich Bay, on a mountain nineteen hundred 

 feet in height, quite a number of caribou were seen, and some 

 of them secured. The party obtained in all thirty-nine species 

 of mammals and seventy-seven species of birds, all of which, 

 with the exception of two, are listed by Professor Packard in 

 his work " The Labrador Coast." Mr. Coates made a large 

 collection of plants, and five species of butterflies not men- 

 tioned by Professor Packard were procured. The party left 

 Cartwright on September 14 for Pilley's Island, off the New- 

 foundland coast, and there caught the steamer Sylvia for 

 Xew York, where they arrived on September 30, very nearly 

 three months from the date of the start. 



The party of Eskimos also left us to take the mail steamer 

 at Battle Harbor and go onward to Rigolette; and still another 

 party silently stole away in the small hours of the morning. 

 This was composed of Robert D. Perry, of Phillipston, Mass. ; 

 William Bryce, Jr., of New York, and Dr. Willis A. Reeve, 

 of Patchogue, L. I. These three men suddenly made up 

 their minds that night to take the bird in the hand, and 

 make sure of some hunting in Labrador, rather than take 

 the risk of being dry-docked in St. Johns. They pushed 

 their way onward toward Rigolette, enjoyed some excellent 

 sport in this vicinity, and got safely back to New York 

 somewhat in advance of the party they had left behind. 



A heavy fog had closed about the Miranda, but early in 

 the morning of the 22d it lifted sufficiently to enable the ship 

 to start on its retreat to St. Johns. All day long, however, 

 progress was very slow ; for the fog descended again like a 

 curtain, and now and then the ghostly shapes of huge ice- 

 bergs could be dimly discerned. The passengers made up a 



