324 



AECTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



through valleys full of snow soft and deep enough to cover my 

 whole body. But, wherever I went, small pieces of limestone were 

 in abundance, even to the very mountain- tops. 



At length I arrived at my destination on the west side of Bear 

 Sound. There — beside those waters, on whose shores Frobisher 

 and his men had labored for the mineral wealth which he believed 

 he had found there — I had my noon repast, my Innuit companion 

 sharing it with me. Eesting a while, I forgot my youthful at- 

 tendant while contemplating the scene around me. Presently I 

 rose to return, and missed " Captain." I called ; no reply. Where 

 had he gone ? There was a steep precipice close by, and I be- 

 came alarmed lest he had fallen over it. I therefore instantly 

 sought for him, and after some moments found his tracks. He 

 had left me without a word, intending to go by a more direct, but, 

 as I thought, dangerous course to the depot. I followed him, and 

 we then returned together, arriving at the tents much fatigued. 



While I was stopping at Cape True the boats frequently went 

 to get fuel from the scattered remains of the Traveller before men- 

 tioned. The shore was strewed with portions of the wreck, which 

 would serve many years for fuel for ships' companies occupied as 

 the George Henry' 's was at the whaling depot. 



The crew of the George Henry were at that time living "in clo- 

 ver." They had plenty of ducks, duck eggs, seal, walrus, etc., and 

 whenever they wanted a supply they had only to go and take 

 what Nature here so plentifully furnished. On one of these oc- 

 casions (June 24th) I accompanied a party that went " duck-egg- 

 ing." It consisted of two whale-boats, manned by whites and In- 

 nuits, under command of Charles Keeney and A. Bailey. I went 

 with the latter, leaving the whale depot early in the morning, and 

 striking right across a little bight to the west entrance of Bear 

 Sound. 



On entering this sound I was surprised at the velocity and sin- 

 gular movements of the tides. As we advanced the tide was ebb- 

 ing, and running swiftly up toward Field Bay. But when we 

 had reached Ellis Island,* the movement of the tidal waters ap- 

 peared to be reversed, and they were throwing themselves furi- 

 ously about. Eddies, and whirlpools, and mill-races were there 

 running and whirling around in the wildest and most fantastic 



* A prominent, bold rock island, west side of Bear Sound, about one sixth of a 

 mile in diameter, three miles from Field Bay, and named after John W. Ellis, of 

 Cincinnati, Ohio. "Ellis Island" is in lat. 62° 32' N., long. 64° 45' W. 



