182 BELLOT STRAIT. Chap. X. 



masses were large, and daslied violently against 

 each other, and the rocks lay at some distance 

 off the southern shore ; we had a fortunate 

 escape from such dangerous company. After 

 anchoring again in Depot Bay, a large stock of 

 provisions and a record of our proceedings were 

 landed, as there seems every probability of 

 advancing into the western sea in a very few 

 days. 



The appearance of Bellot Strait is precisely 

 that of a Greenland fiord ; it is about 20 

 miles long and scarcely a mile wide in the 

 narrowest part, and there, within a quarter of a 

 mile of the north shore, the depth was ascer- 

 tained to be 400 feet. Its granitic shores 

 are bold and lofty, with a very respectable 

 sprinkling of vegetation for lat. 72°. Some 

 of the hill-ranges rise to about 1500 or 1600 

 feet above the sea. 



The low land eastward of Depot Bay is 

 composed of limestone, destitute alike of fossils 

 and vegetation. The granite commences uj)on 

 the west shore of Depot Bay, and is at once bold 

 and rugged. Many seals have been seen ; a 

 young bear was shot, and Walker took a photo- 

 graph of him as he lay upon our deck, the dogs 

 creeping near to lick up the blood. 



The great rapidity of the tides in Bellot 



