OF THE POLAR SEA. 225 



Inlet, that at this season they confine them- 

 selves to the sea-coast and the islands. 

 The magpie-berries (arbutus alpina) were 

 found quite ripe at this place, and very 

 abundant on the acclivities of the hills. 

 We also descended the highest hill and 

 gained a view of a distant chain of islands, 

 extending as far as the eye could reach, and 

 perceived a few patches of ice still lingering 

 round to some of them, but in every other 

 part the sea was quite open. Resuming 

 our voyage after noon, we proceeded along 

 the coast, which is fringed by islands, and 

 at five P.M. entered another bay, where we 

 were for some time involved in our late dif- 

 ficulties by the intricacy of the passages ; 

 but we cleared them in the afternoon, and 

 encamped near the northern entrance of the 

 bay, at a spot which had recently been 

 visited by a small party of Esquimaux, as 

 the remains of some eggs containing young 

 were lying beside some half-burnt fire- wood. 

 There were also several piles of stones put 

 up by them. I have named this bay after 

 my friend, Captain David Buchan, of the 



VOL. III. q 



