OF THE POLAR SEA. 



39 



and being consequently deprived of the 

 usual means of replenishing our stock of 

 water, which had become short, the captain 

 resolved on going to the coast of Labrador 

 for a supply. Dr. Richardson and I gladly 

 embraced this opportunity to land and ex- 

 amine this part of the coast. I was also 

 desirous to observe the variation on shore, 

 as the azimuths, which had been taken on 

 board both ships since our entrance into the 

 Straits, had shown a greater amount than 

 we had been led to expect ; but unluckily 

 the sun became obscured. The beach con- 

 sisted of large rolled stones of gneiss and 

 sienite, amongst which many pieces of ice 

 had grounded, and it was with difficulty 

 that we effected a landing in a small cove 

 under a steep cliff. These stones were 

 worn perfectly smooth; neither in the in- 

 terstices, nor at the bottom of the water, 

 which was very clear, were there any ves- 

 tiges of sea-weed. 



The cliff was from forty to fifty feet high 

 and quite perpendicular, and had at its base 

 a small slip of soil formed of the debris of 



