1876 ALDRICH'S RETURN JOURNEY. 33 



off the capes, it is steeper to the westward, and low and 

 shelving to the eastward ; and to whatever their forma- 

 tion may be due, they resemble one another in so 

 many ways that their existence may very probably 

 arise from the same cause. 



' Camped at 7.30 P.M. Temperature 14. Travel- 

 ling rather better, but the journey is not a very long- 

 one. The men are regularly done. 



' Our whiskers, moustaches, and beards are very 

 much lighter than their natural hues, and their delicate 

 " golden tint " imparts an air of cleanliness to our 

 features, which much require something of the kind to 

 do away with the sooty and begrimed appearance of 

 our stearine-smoked countenances/ 



On the 5th of June they passed Cape Columbia on 

 their return ; and on the 7th the dreaded word ' scurvy ' 

 was used for the first time. 



Aldrich's journal continues : ' Temperature 23. 

 A very splendid day can see to within thirty miles of 

 the ship, a fact I have impressed on the men, with good 

 effect. Observed a large bird some distance off, it flew 

 something like a gull. Snow-bunting are numerous on 

 the land. 



' Camped about one mile W.S.W. of Point Stubbs. 

 A curious afternoon ; sudden and very thick fogs, 

 breaking occasionally to give us an hour or so of 

 magnificently clear weather. 



' We are all very agreeably surprised at the state 

 of the travelling, which has vastly improved in our 

 absence. The snow is fine-grained, and eight to ten 

 inches deep. 



' I have heard many mild complaints of late as to 



VOL. n. D 



