1876 CAPE SHERIDAN WATER-COURSE. 65 



meeting of the fresh- water running off the melting ice 

 and the sea-water. 



' In all the open cracks a feathery efflorescence is 

 observed clinging to the ice below the surface of the 

 water. As the warm snow-water at a slight depth 

 becomes cooled through meeting with the cold sea- 

 water below it, fine ice crystals are formed, which con- 

 tinually rise to the surface in sufficient quantities to 

 form a thin superficial layer of ice, which must be con- 

 stantly melting and being replenished with ice rising 

 from below. 



' IQth. On this day Dr. Hayes broke out of winter- 

 quarters at Port Foulke, the earliest day that any ship 

 has ever cleared the ice. 



' The pack-ice has now become completely detached 

 from the grounded ice, and only waits for the general 

 break-up. An open or close season depends entirely 

 on the strength of the prevailing winds at this period : 

 every southerly gale will bring the navigable water 

 nearer to us. In 1853 no water was visible from the 

 winter-quarters of the " Eesolute " at Melville Island 

 until the 17th of August ; but this is the latest date 

 that any vessel has been ice-locked unless the pack 

 remained fast the whole season. 



< \\tti. We are watering the ship by pumping 

 from a shore stream. A large shooting-party left for 

 the neighbourhood of Dumbell Lakes ; they expe- 

 rienced great trouble in crossing the Cape Sheridan 

 Eavine, the stream being two feet deep and eighty feet 

 in breadth, and running with great velocity. At its 

 mouth the sea-wall is so solid that the water cannot 

 escape directly to the sea, but is deflected towards the 

 VOL. n. F 



