CAPT, MAHKIIAM AT FORT CHURCniLL, ETC. 357 
Tlic l)igges Islands lying on the southern side of the inner 
entrance to Hudson’s Stinits were so named by Hudson on his last 
sad voyage in IGIO; but he never landed on them, being baffled 
in his attempt to do so in search of “foulo” by a contrary wind. 
The islands were named in honour of Sir Dudley Digge.s, who 
subscribed largely towards the expense of this voyage. Hudson’s 
mutinous creAV on their return landed and gathered “ cockle-grass.” 
Sir Thomas Button, in 1G12, remained a week on the islands, and 
litted up there a pinnace which he had brought out from England. 
]5ylot in his voycage in 1G15, with BalHn as his pilot, killed seventy 
fowlc here, “ for in this place is the greatest quantity of fowle 
(which we call Willocks) that in few places else is it like to be 
seen, for if neede were we might have killed many thou.sands ; ” 
in fact somewhere on these islands, Hud.son could not sight the 
exact place twice, was in his day a vast “Loomcry.” Everyone 
who passes througli Hudson’s Straits seems to see these islands, but 
I can find no other record of any one’.s landing there until a 
INIetcorological Skdion, was established and Dr. B. Bell botanized 
there in 1884-85. A list of the Exogenous Plants found by 
Dr. Bell is published in the ‘ (Catalogue of Canadian Plants,’ 
Part 111., by Professor IHacoun, Botanist to the Geological and 
Ahitural History Survey of Canada. 
Captain Markham landed on "West Digges Island, lat. G2‘34“ IS'., 
long. 78“ "NV., on the 21st of July of last year, and made a 
collection of plants which no doubt represents pretty well the 
plants ilow'ering at that time on the island. These plants tell by 
their condition their own tale of cold and hardship. Saxifraga 
Jilrculus, which at Churchill was six inches high, with large flowers, 
is here reduced to its variety alpina, an inch and a half high, with 
quite small flowers. Saxifraga tricuspklata is reduced in the same 
l)i’oportion. Epilobiinri lat i folium, which at Churchill had splendid 
mauve flowers as large as a florin, here foils to flower at all. 
A;<fragalus alpinus is reduced to a mere groundling almost without 
stem. Pgrola rotnndifolia is represented by its variety pumila 
with but one single flower in place of a dense spike. And most 
significant fact of all, whilst Churchill has six berry-bearing plants, 
so far as this collection goes, the island has not one single one* 
• Dr. Bell finds three berry-bearing plants : Subus chamcemorus, Vaccinium 
tiUginosnm, and Empeirum nigrnnt. 
