June, 1859, GEOLOGICAL REMAEKS. 309- 



end of the strait, we cut off some distance by 

 crossing overland, so as to reach the sea-coast 

 3 or 4 miles southward of Cape Sabine. A few 

 willow grouse, two foxes, and a young reindeer 

 were seen. There was some vegetation upon 

 the land, and animals appeared to resort to this 

 locality in tolerable abundance ; the contrast 

 between it and the low, barren shores we had 

 so recently come from was striking indeed ! 



Nothing can exceed the gloom and desolation 

 of the western coast of King William's Island ; 

 Hobson and myself had some considerable expe- 

 rience of it ; his sojourn there exceeded a month ; 

 its climate seems different from that of the east- 

 ern coast; it is more exposed to north-west winds, 

 and the air was almost constantly loaded with 

 chilling fogs. Everywhere upon the shores of 

 the island I noticed boulders of dark gneiss ; 

 upon the west coast they were generally small, 

 and of a dark gray colour. About the north 

 part of the island Hobson found a good deal of 

 sandstone, the probable result of ice-drift from 

 Melville Island or Banks Land. 



This land gives one the idea of its having 

 risen within a recent geological period from the 

 sea — not suddenly, but at regular -intervals; the 

 numerous terraces or beach-marks form long 

 horizontal lines, rising very gradually, and in 



