228 RECENT EXPLORATIONS. 



try is alpine in character, the mountains rising almost 

 vertically from the sea ; but although the peaks attain 

 a great height, there are no ice-fields and shining snow- 

 clad peaks; at the most, snow-fields and miniature 

 glaciers. Deep, narrow fiords (Sorviluck, NuUatarkok, 

 and Nachvak) cut into the coast, which is not along 

 here sheltered by islands from the heavy swell of the 

 ocean. While south of Hebron numerous islands lie 

 scattered off the mouths of the bays, northerly from 

 Komaktorvik there are numerous islands and very dan- 

 gerous cliffs, the Naviarutsit and Nuvurutsit, which ex- 

 tend up to Ikkerasak Torksuk, viz., the great thorough- 

 fare, abounding in whirlpools, of the Eskimo to Un- 

 gava Bay. 



Near Rama, Koch ascended a mountain 2,600 feet 

 in height. He describes the scene as very grand : " At 

 my feet I saw the deep, bluish-green fiord surrounded 

 by steep, wall-like cliffs. The mountains were covered 

 with shrubs colored red by the first frost of the season. 

 To the left spreads the dark-blue ocean, with its green- 

 ish-white icebergs. On the opposite side of the fiord, 

 and towards the west, extended steep and ragged moun- 

 tains and narrow, gorge-like valleys, in one of them a 

 dark lake, the water of which, black as ink, reflected 

 the high peaks. In the interior I saw mountains rising 

 to still greater heights, and covered with fresh snow, 

 extending north and south as far as I could see. The 

 highest points of this range are opposite the island of 

 Aulatsivik, and reach elevations of from 8,000 to 9,000 

 feet. While mountains less than 1,500 or 2,000'feet in 

 height are rounded, and bear evidence of having been 



