214 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. V., No. 110. 



Churchill, where arrangements were made with one 

 of the Hudson-Bay company's officers for taking 

 auxiliary observations; thence to York Factory, 

 where, in consequence of shoal water, the steamer 

 was obliged to anchor eighteen miles from the post, — 

 a fact likely to prevent this most important station 

 of the Hudson-Bay company from attaining com- 

 mercial importance. At this place there has been 

 for some years an observer in connection with 

 the meteorological service, and nothing more was 

 required than comparison and adjustment of instru- 

 ments. From York Factory the return trip was be- 

 gun on the 12th of September, and a fifth station was 

 established on the south-western extremity of Digges 

 Island, where a good harbor, named Port Laperriere, 

 opposite to, and forty-five miles from, Port De- 

 Boucherville, 

 was found. The 

 vast stretches of 

 ice encountered 

 in this end of 

 the strait point 

 to these two sta- 

 tions as of the 

 highest impor- 

 tance. There re- 

 mained now but 

 one station to 

 establish, which 

 had been intend- 

 ed for Resolution 

 Island or the 

 lower Savage 

 Islands. On both 

 trips this neigh- 

 borhood was 

 carefully exam- 

 ined, but no har- 

 b o r could be 

 found ; and the 

 station was con- 

 sequently fixed 



at Skynner's Cove, on the north side of the entrance to 

 NachvakBay, — a position apparently not calculated 

 to aid materially the objects of the expedition. 



At each of the six stations an officer is in charge, 

 with two assistants. For their accommodation a hut 

 sixteen by twenty feet, divided into three rooms, with 

 a porch and storehouse attached as a lean-to, was 

 erected. It has double walls of board, with an outer 

 and inner air-space formed by a sheathing of tarred 

 paper; and it is intended to further protect it from 

 cold by covering it outside with sods or grass, and, 

 over all, with snow. For heating, a base-burner 

 cooking-stove, with twenty tons of anthracite coal, 

 is provided ; and the smoke-flue of galvanized iron is 

 ingeniously designed, not only to guard against fire, 

 the misfortune most to be dreaded, but to provide, as 

 well, an up-draught for foul, and down-draught for 

 pure air, if required. Only twelve months' provisions 

 were left; but they were selected as preventives of 

 scurvy, and to give the greatest possible variety of 

 nutritive food. 



OBSERVERS' station at stupart's bay. 



Meteorological observations are to be taken regu- 

 larly throughout the year, at four-hour intervals, 

 three of these times being synchronous with the 

 series taken by the regular observers of the meteoro- 

 logical service. 



After each observation, during daylight, the strait 

 is to be examined with the telescope, and a record of 

 its state written down at the time, including direction, 

 and, when possible, velocity of tide, movements of 

 any ice, and whether much broken up, solid field, etc. 

 Each day the time and height of high and low water 

 are to be observed, and, during the open season, the 

 character of the tide noted for two days before, and 

 three days after, the full and change of the moon. 

 Detailed instructions for making these observations, 

 and checking tbe zero-mark on the tidal-post, were 



given the offi- 

 cers. 



In the official 

 journal which is 

 to be kept must 

 be also entered 

 any thing ob- 

 served regarding 

 the migrations of 

 birds, seals, and 

 walruses, the 

 movements of 

 fish, etc., and the 

 growth of grass- 

 es, as well as the 

 result of observa- 

 tions on the dis- 

 puted question of 

 the depth to 

 which water will 

 freeze during an 

 arctic winter. 



At Mr. Stu- 

 part's station, in 

 addition to the 

 work at the other 

 posts, special observations of magnetic phenomena 

 are to be taken, for which a suitable building is pro- 

 vided. 



In working through the strait, especially towards 

 its western end, the ordinary compass was so sluggish 

 as to be almost useless, and in this contingency the Sir 

 William Thomson compass card was found to work 

 admirably. 



No icebergs were met, nor were reports obtained of 

 their occurrence, in the bay. In the strait a large 

 number were seen, principally along the north shore, 

 where many were stranded in the coves ; but some 

 were met with in mid-channel. Of those seen in the 

 eastern end of the strait, some had undoubtedly come 

 in from Davis Strait, passing between Resolution 

 Island and East Bluff; but all of those met to the 

 westward had come from Fox Channel, or perhaps 

 from the still more remote waters connecting with it, 

 all of which have a southerly current. 



Observations made by Mr. Ashe from his station 

 on Turenne Island showed that a berg coming in 



