84 MISCELLANEOUS. 
eovered peaks and streams of glacier ice. At noon the anchor was dropped ou 
the wild, mountainous inlet of Beru Fiord, close to the factory station. The day 
was beautifully fine and clear—a most unusual circumstance on that coast. The 
five following days were occupied in sounding and surveying the fiord and the 
various inlets and bays, many of which were found to be most favourable for the 
reception of a cable. 
On the afternoon of the 15th, the party under Dr, Rae’s superintendence Jeft for 
the purpose of exploring and laying down the route for the landline across the 
island, intending to join the ship again at Reikiavik. On the evening of the 
17th, the soundings and survey being complete, the Fox left Beru Fiord with a 
fair wind, and on the morning of the 19th reached the Westmanna Islands, off the 
south coast of Iceland. Having communicated with the shore, the Fou stood on 
her way to Reikiavik, those on board just eatching a glimpse of Hecla, which was 
partially covered with clouds, in the distance. Passing the rugged lava streams 
of Cape Reikianzs during the afternoon, the Fox arrived in Reikiavik on the 
evening of the 20th. During the succeeding ten days, every part of the neigh- 
bouring coast which seemed to afford a favourable landing-place for a cable, was 
examined and thoroughly sounded; and several places, in every respect eligible 
for the reception of the cable, were discovered. On the 29th, Dr. Rae and his 
party returned, having successfully accomplished the difficult journey across the 
island, a distance of nearly 450 miles, in fourteen days. 
From this date to the 9th of September, heavy gales and unfavorable weather 
kept the ship from making much progress westward ; but on the 10th and 11th of 
that month, the weather having moderated, the progress made toward the Green- 
land coast was considerable, and yet no ice, nor, indeed, any indications of its 
presence were encountered, though in the chart of Manby, the whole sea over 
which the Fox had been sailing for the previous three days is laid down as per- 
petually covered with an impassable barrier of it. At 6 p.m.on the 11th, when 
distant 130 miles from Cape Valloe, East Greenland, a sounding was obtained in 
2,135 fathoms. At daylight on the morning of the 12th the first ice and the 
supposed inaccessible east coast of Greenland were sighted. The land, which 
then, probably, for the first time, was seen from a ship, was of a high, mountain- 
ous, and generally precipitous character. Being short of water, Captain Young 
made the ship fast to a large floe of ice, from portions of which the tanks were 
soon replenished. Having obtained soundings, bearings, and angles, the ship 
coasted southward along the land, the ice lying closely packed along the coast ; 
and the ship in the afternoon, being closely surrounded with floe pieces, was kept 
away to the margin of the ice. At daylight on the following morning, the 13th 
of September, the weather being fine and clear, the Fox again stood through the 
ice toward the land to within three miles off the high mountainous island called 
by the natives Omenarsuk. Some closely packed, heavy ice lay aloag the coast, 
and there being no opening for the ship to get in, and no prospect of an off shore 
wind to disperse it, the vessel was kept along the end of the land southward, 
looking out for a harbor. Views of the land angles and bearings for fixing posi- 
tions were obtained. The appearance of open water in some of the fiords led to 
the hope that the ship might reach the coast, but during the afternoon the wind 
