Tidal Observations. 191 



which, as he did not attach any value to it, was used 

 as fuel. One piece was over four feet in length. 

 The Esquimaux Jem, who is really a west coast 

 native, though now settled with the Etah people 

 round the mouth of Smith Sound, told them that 

 plenty of wood came from the north, and was washed 

 up along the shore of Grinnell Land. It must be 

 borne on the waves of a great polar sea from the 

 coast of Siberia. The most interesting discovery 

 connected with oceanic movements was, that the 

 tidal waves from the north and south meet at Cape 

 Fraser, on the west coast of Grinnell Land. This 

 was fully demonstrated by the drift of the ship and 

 by tidal observations. To the south of Cape Fraser 

 the flood tide makes to the north, whilst to the 

 north it flows south. The rise and fall during spring- 

 tides was about five and a half feet, and during the 

 neaps about two feet. No agitation of the water 

 was noticed off Cape Fraser caused by the meeting 

 of the two waves, for the ice would effectually pre- 

 vent anything of the sort. But to the south of 

 Cape Fraser the tide rose to a greater height during 

 the night, as is the case along the coast of Green- 

 land ; whereas to the north of Cape Fraser there 

 was no perceptible difference between the day and 

 night tides. 



Vestiges of the presence of man on the verge of 

 the unknown region are proofs of its being habit- 

 able, and therefore of the presence of open water 



