RED SNOW. 93 



country, and tliey are evidently travelled and 

 ice-borne blocks. 



I saw for tbe first time on this island tbe 

 singular appearance called "red snow," a 

 description of which is familiar to all readers 

 of arctic voyages. With deference to some of 

 these distinguished observers, who appear to 

 me to have gone out of their way to look for 

 some abstruse reasons (such as " the growth of 

 minute reddish fungi on the snow," &c.) to 

 account for this appearance, I may state that 

 all the red snow which has come under my 

 observation has been simply caused by the 

 colouring matter contained in the droppings 

 of millions of little awks; these birds feed 

 almost entirely on shrimps, and consequently 

 void a substance bearing a strong resemblance 

 to anchovy sauce. It may be that " minute 

 reddish fungi " afterwards grow on tlie 

 droppings, but I totally disbelieve in fungi 

 growing on the snow per se. 



To return to our position on the island. 

 About eight o'clock in the morning we fancied 

 that we heard several cannon-shots in the 

 offing, and the fog having cleared a little, we 

 determined to make an effort to regain the 

 sloop. "We therefore rowed out for about three 



