180 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



day's march to the southward of the moun- 

 tains. 



We embarked at five A.M. and pro- 

 ceeded towards the sea, which is about nine 

 miles beyond the Bloody Fall. After pass- 

 ing a few rapids, the river became wider, 

 and more navigable for canoes, flowing be- 

 tween banks of alluvial sand. We en- 

 camped at ten on the western bank at its 

 junction with the sea. The river is here 

 about a mile wide, but very shallow, being 

 barred nearly across by sand banks, which 

 run out from the main land on each side to 

 a low alluvial island that lies in the centre, 

 and forms two channels ; of these the west- 

 ernmost only is navigable even for canoes, 

 the other being obstructed by a stony bar. 

 The islands to seaward are high and numer- 

 ous, and fill the horizon in many points of 

 the compass ; the only open space, seen 

 from an eminence near the encampment, 

 being from N.b.E. to N.E.b.N. Towards 

 the east the land was like a chain of islands, 

 the ice apparently surrounding them in a 



