330 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, the tendency the ice must have towards the edge of the cliif; and I 
have no doubt the beds of ice are occasionally loosened, and fall upon 
Sept, the beach, where, if they are not carried away by the sea, they become 
covered with the earthy materials from above, and perhaps remain some 
time immured. In some places the cliff was undermined, and the sur- 
face in general was very rugged ; but it was evident in this, as in the 
former instance, that the ice was lodged in hollow places in the cliff. 
While we continued here we had an example of the manner in which 
the face of the cliff might obtain an icy covering similar to that in Es- 
choltz Bay. There had been a sharp frost during the night, which 
froze a number of small streams that were trickling down the face of 
the cliff, and cased those parts of it with a sheet of ice, which, if the 
oozings from the cliff and the freezing process were continued, would 
without doubt form a thick coating to it. 
Upon the beach, under the cliffs, there was an abundance of drift 
birch and pine wood, among which there was a fir-tree three feet in 
diameter. This tree, and another, which, by the appearance of its bark, 
had been recently torn up by the roots, had been washed up since our 
visit to this spot in July; but from whence they came we could not 
even form a conjecture, as we had frequently remarked the absence of 
floating timber both in the sound and in the strait. 
We found some natives at this place laying out their nets for seals, 
who, perceiving we were about to take up our quarters near them, 
struck their tents expeditiously, threw every thing into their baidars, to 
which they harnessed their dogs, and drove off for about half a mile, where 
they encamped again. We procured from them about two bushels of 
whortle berries, which they had collected for their own consumption, 
and learnt that they had been unsuccessful in fishing. We noticed 
that at their meals they stripped their dried fish of its skin and gave it 
to the women and children, who ate it very contentedly, while the 
men regaled themselves upon the flesh. 
. During the night we had a brilliant display of the aurora borealis, 
remarkable for its masses of bright light. It extended from N. E. to 
W., and at one time formed three arches. As we were taking our 
departure we were visited by a baidar, from which we j)rocured some 
