K. BKOWN, FLORULA DISCOANA. 263 



cliffs around are bare of vegetation, and the whole vicinity is very 

 chilly and dreary. The cold blasts have even nipped the usual 

 profusion of Arctic vegetation, and we have to go far afield to 

 gather the Dwarf Birch for our cooking fire. '* On the slope, 

 " however, survive nearly all the species of Saxifraga, and on 

 ^' the sunny spots Vaccinium uliginosum is bearing its pleasant- 

 '' tasted berries, all of which tell us that autumn (after which 

 " Cometh the winter, when no man can work) is travelling on 

 " apace. Stellarias and Oxyria show themselves frequently, as 

 " do also Epilobium latifolium^ and the Eriophorum with its 

 " tasselled head of cottony down, in the boggy places here 

 " and there, while Stellaria Edwardsii is occasionally seen quite 

 " abundant at the head of the inlet. Papaver nudicaule is 

 *' coming into seed, as well as the species of Pedicularis, which, 

 " with Lycopodium annotinum, &c., maintain their ground in 

 *' appropriate situations." The glacier face was in lat. 69° 24' 

 12'' N. We entered the inlet on the 20th of July, and left on 

 the 29th of the same month. 



(6.) Ritenbenk—Lv^t, 69° 45' 34" N., long 51° 7' W.— The 

 island on which this settlement is situated is called Akpaet, and 

 presents nothing phytographically remarkable. There is a con- 

 siderable amount of Dwarf Willow and turf on it. By the time 

 we arrived here (August 20) the Arctic flora was nearly gone, 

 so that Ritenbenk does not figure much in this catalogue. The 

 shore afforded, however, a few Sea-weeds. 



(7.) Sakkak—L^it. Kf 0' 28" N., long. 52° W. (approx.)— At 

 this little outpost there is a broad sunny flat, with the "inland 

 ice " appearing as miniature glaciers down between the clifls 

 behind. Here I found Festuca ovina, L., in great luxuriance, 

 but except a few Algae from the shallow muddy ice-choked harbour 

 I did not add greatly to my collection. 



(8.) Atanakerdluk—Lat. 70° 02' 30" N,, long. 52° W. (approx.) 

 — By the time we arrived here Phanerogamic vegetation was 

 nearly over ; and except a few Cryptogamic plants I have little 

 to add from this locality. Here, as I have remarked, the geology 

 entirely changes from the primitive to sedimentary formations ; 

 and the few days we spent here (22nd to 24th August) were 

 occupied by me almost entirely in collecting the Miocene plants, 

 and describing and making sections of the strata, the arid slope 

 presenting no recent plants to collect. Though, of course, the 

 limited materials possessed will scarcely admit of deciding what 

 influence the change of soil, consequent on the altered geological 

 conditions, may have in giving an altered character to the flora ; 

 yet, so far as 1 was able to judge from the decayed plants which 

 remained above ground, it seems that they were, to a great extent, 

 different from those gathered on the granitic soil. 



(9.) Ounartok-^La.t. 70° 2' N., long. 52° 24' W. (both approx.) 

 — The locality known under this name seems to have been at 

 one time a native " house-place," and traces can yet be seen of 

 former habitations at the mouth of a gurgling creek which flows 

 from the mountains, and it is yet a favourite camping place for 



