20 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



reaped. They paddled away very swiftly, and would, doubtless, soon 

 reach the shore though it was distant ten or twelve miles. 



Not having encountered any of the ice, which usually arrests the 

 progress of ships in their outward passage through the Straits, 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. Eichardson and I 

 gladly embraced this opportunity to land, and examine 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 en- 

 trance into the Straits, had shewn a greater amount than we had 

 been led to expect ; but, unluckily, the sun became obscured. The 

 beach consisted 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 interstices, nor 

 at the bottom of the water, which was very clear, were there any 

 vestiges 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 a bed 

 of clay-slate. From this narrow spot Dr. Eichardson collected spe- 

 cimens of thirty different species of plants ; and we were about to 

 scramble up a shelving part of the rock, and go into the interior, 

 when we perceived the signal of recal, which the master had caused 

 to be made, in consequence of a sudden change in the appearance of 

 the weather. 



On the evening of the 1 9th, we passed Digges' Islands, the termi- 

 nation of Hudson's Strait. Here the Eddy stone parted company, 

 being bound to Moose Factory, at the bottom of the Bay. A strong 

 north wind came on, which prevented our getting round the north 

 end of Mansfield ; and, as it continued to blow with equal strength 

 for the next five days, we were most vexatiously detained in beating 



