June, 1859. BOOTHIA FELIX. 311 



the coast the magnetic inclination was carefully 

 observed. Throughout my whole journey I 

 availed myself of every opportunity of obtaining 

 these most interesting observations, often re- 

 maining up, after we had encamped for rest, six 

 or seven hours in order to do so ; but the instru- 

 ments supplied for this purpose were not well 

 adapted, and occasioned me a vast deal of labour 

 and loss of time, so as to diminish to almost 

 one-third the results I should otherwise have 

 obtained. Much snow has disappeared off the 

 land; and the ridges or ancient beaches, being 

 the parts most free from snow, showed out 

 strongly in long, dark, horizontal lines, rising 

 above each other until lost to view in the in- 

 terior. Here and there a few fossil shells and 

 corals were picked up, and four or five willow 

 grouse shot. 



13th June. — We passed from limestone to 

 granite in lat. 71° 10' N. Here the land attains 

 to considerable elevation. In the hollows of the 

 dark granite rocks we found abundance of water, 

 and also in a few places upon the sea-ice ; it 

 was quite evident that in another day or two 

 the snow would altogether yield to the warmth 

 of summer ; birds were now frequently seen. 



We discovered a narrow channel to the east- 

 ward of the one between the Tasmania Group, 



