6 D n Hudson's STRAr-^ and bav. 



havo been kindly cxaininoil \>y Mr. W. II. Harrington. A number of 

 JtirJMnnmumi.iSjtet'init'ns of birds, mammals and tishcs were collected during the voy- 

 age, or obtained from some of the olwervers, especially Mr. Laperriero, 

 who was in charge of the station at Cape Digges. I am indebted to Dr. 

 Mr.thews, of York Factory, for additional specimen.s of birds, and to 

 Ml". J. R. Spencer, of Churchill, for specimens of Back's grayling, and 

 other tishes. After the zoological specimens shall have been citically 

 examined, complete lists of them, along with those obtained arountl 

 lludson's Bay in ))revious years, will bo published. I have much 

 pleasure in acknowledging the kindness of the Eight Revd. Charles 

 (iuay, of Cross Point, I'.Q., in procuring canoes and endeavouring to 

 hire Indians for the expedition. Mr, James MacNaughton, M. A., acted 

 as my assistant during the season. 

 Kcpori It was considered desirable that the Eeport of the " Alert " Expedi- 



l»I/i"irtmenVof tloH, to be published by tlie Department of Marine, should contain an 

 • ii"»c- account of the geology of Hudson's Bay and the surrounding country; 



and accordingly, with the approval of the director, a report on this sub- 

 ject has been furnished. It embrace.-^ not only the general results of 

 the geological observations of the "Xeptune" and "Alert" 

 expeditions of 1884 and '85, but also of the previous expeditions around 

 Hudson's Bay, made principally on the east side, in 1875 and '77, and 

 on the west side in 1878, '79 and '80, and in the interior in 1870 and '71. 

 A chai)ter on the Economic Minerals of the Hudson's Bay Territories 

 generally, is also included in the above Report, 



As all mattei's concerning ice, ocean currents, soundings, tides, 



meteorological phenomena, etc., belong to Lieut. (Jordon's province, 



and will be fully reported on by hini, I shall .!0t allude to them except 



in their relation to geological ([uestions. 



Voyage from As stated in mv pi-eliminary rei)ort, we left Halifax on the 27th of 



Halifax to 1 .7 1 ' 



I huisoii'.* Strait May, untl after passing through the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the 

 Straits of Belle Isle, steamed northward, near the edge of the ice- 

 pack off the Labrador coast, to the entrance of Hudson's Sliait, 

 which we entered on tke IGth June. Be3'ond the Straits of Belle Isle 



Ice-bergs. numci'ous icc-bergs were passed every day, both in the open watei", and 

 among the field ice. When in the latter position they were obseived 

 to be almost always more or less completely surrounded by a space of 

 open water. On the voyage back from Newfoundland to the sti'aits, 

 between the 27th of July and the 3rd of August, icebergs were again 

 equally numerous, especially as we approached the Labrador coast, but 

 on neither occasion did we meet with any of remarkable size or height, 

 the great majority of them being comparatively small. Towards the 

 entrance of Hudson's Strait it was noticed that the bergs furthest out to 

 sea or to th' eastward, carried stones, mud, or discolorations more fre- 



