155 
Account qftlie Expedition to Bcifflns Bay. 
The iron of which ^ these knives are made, was examined by 
Dr Wollaston, who found it to contain from three to Jour per 
cent, of nickel ; and who remarks, that it appears to differ in no 
respect from those masses of which so many have now been 
found on various parts of the surface of the earth ; and which, 
in some few instances from tradition, and in all, from the ana- 
lysis, appear to be of meteoric origin.” 
On the 16th of August, Captain Ross left the Prince Re- 
gent’s Bay, and after rounding Gape York, he continued his 
course along the land, among numerous bergs, and pieces of 
loose ice. The snow on the face of the cliffs presented an ap- 
pearance of a very singular kind, and appeared to have the 
colour of the deepest crimson. The colouring-matter seemed 
to have penetrated in some places to the depth of ten or twelve 
feet, and the snow had the appearance of having been a long 
time in that state. These cliffs extended abomt eight miles, and 
were denominated the Crimson Cliffs. Dr Wollaston, who ex- 
amined the colouring-matter of the crimson snow, conceives it to 
be of vegetable origin. The red matter itself,” he observes, “ con- 
sists of minute globules, from ^ o to ^ o\ o diameter. 
They appear to be subdivided internally, into about eight or 
ten cells. The colour seems to belong to the contents of the 
globule, and not to its coat. The contents, which are of an 
oily nature, are not soluble in water, but they may be dissolved 
in rectified spirits of wine.” 
On the 18th of August, to the north of Cape Dudley Digges, 
several huts were plainly distinguished, and were supposed to 
be Petowack, the residence of the Chief of the Esquimaux, wlio 
had been obscurely alluded to in the conversations ^vith the na- 
tives. Wolstenholm Sound) which agreed precisely with Baffin’s 
description of it, was now in sight. It seemed to be about 
eighteen or twenty leagues in depth, and was completely block- 
ed up with ice. On the same day Whale Sound was discover*^ 
ed ; and Carey’s Islands, which appeared to be about twelve 
leagues from the coast, were distinctly seen, 
Captain Ross now sailed across the bay, and in the passage 
of the ships to the opposite shore, the officers, both of the Isa- 
bella and the Alexander, were satisfied that they saw the land 
distinctly round the top of the Bay. Smith’s Sound, the pnly 
