124 COALING. Chap. Vll. 



position off tlie Coal Cliffs in tlie Waigat ; a 

 party of seal-hunters from Atanekerdluk came 

 off to lis, and their hunting having terminated 

 successfully, they will assist us in coaling. 

 From these men I obtained much information 

 about this part of the coast ; within a range of 

 20 miles upon the Disco shore there are four 

 distinct coaling places ; but at this early season 

 two of them are deeply covered with snow. 

 There is also very good coal at the S.E. end of 

 Hare Island, where it can easily be obtained. 

 The ice in this strait broke up as long ago as 

 the 3rd j^pril; it has all drifted out to the 

 northward, only a few icebergs now remain. 



2%th. — Again hastening northward ; the busi- 

 ness of coaling was very speedily and satisfac- 

 torily completed, but the quality of the coal is 

 very inferior. Upon the green slopes our 

 sportsmen found nothing but a few ptarmigan 

 and a hare. 



Shortly after running close past the deserted 

 settlement of Noursak, we arrived off a small 

 bay, and were startled by finding the water had 

 suddenly changed from transparent blue to a 

 thick muddy colour, but there was no change in 

 its depth ; we were crossing the stream of 

 " Makkaks Elvin," or Clay Eiver, which empties 

 itself into the bay after running through a broad 



