84 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



1821. hollow, and numerous streams of water running from the hills. There was 

 no snow upon the land, nor the smallest vestige of ice on any part of the 

 sea that we overlooked. The rocks, like all that we had lately met with, 

 consisted chiefly of gneiss, traversed by some veins of white quartz and 

 red feldspar from three to twelve inches thick. 



The water was falling by the shore during our stay at this place, and at nine 

 A.M. we found the stream setting slowly to the southward, confirming our 

 former observations as to the direction of the flood-tide. At half-past ten 

 we had arrived at the head of the inlet, having rowed thirteen miles from 

 the entrance. This arm of the sea is three hundred yards wide at the top, 

 having three rivulets running into it over a rough stony beach. The land 

 on each side is from six to eight hundred feet high ; and at the distance of a 

 mile below the head of the inlet there is, on the eastern shore, a remarkable 

 perpendicular bluff overlooking the sea, composed of red feldspar overgrown 

 in some parts with herbage of various tints, which give to it a striking and 

 picturesque appearance. The soundings are here irregular, varying from one 

 fathom to twelve, but the eastern side, as the bold character of its shore indi- 

 cates, is much the deepest. After rowing down a quarter of a mile, we took 

 up a bottle of the sea- water which was fresh enough to drink, being in fact, as 

 Mr. Fisher afterwards found by experiment, of nearly the same specific gra- 

 vity as spring-water. We saw a great many deer on the hills and some flocks 

 of ducks in the water : the latter being mostly too young to fly were so 

 quick in diving that it was not easy to kill them ; but Mr. Ross shot a speci- 

 men or two, which proved to be the young and the females of the long- 

 tailed duck (anas glacialis.) 



This part of our examination being concluded, we landed (on our return) 

 at Red Point, in the hope of obtaining observations for the longitude, but 

 the sun remained obscured throughout the day. On this point were the 

 remains of several Esquimaux habitations, two of which were larger than 

 usual, and differing in form from any we had before noticed. They were 

 oval, about fifteen feet in length, and each had three separate bed-places 

 parted off with stones, and composed of the andromeda tdragona. There were 

 also in each a similar number of fire-places, so that it had apparently been 

 occupied by three distinct families. 



Opposite to Red Point was a small opening, which we next proposed 

 to examine. We had not, however, advanced a mile within the entrance 

 when the boats grounded, the water becoming more and more shoal within. 



