46 
THE GATES OF SMITH’S STRAITS. 
curus , (7) and where the sandstone was bare, it threw in a 
rieli shade of brown. 
The coast to the north of Cape Atlioll is of broken 
greenstone, in terraces. Nearing Hakluyt Island, the 
truncated and pyramidal shapes of these rocks may 
still be recognised in the interior; but the coast pre¬ 
sents a coarse red sandstone, which continues well 
characterized as far as Cape Sauinarez. The nearly ho¬ 
rizontal strata of the sandstone thus exhibited contrast 
conspicuously with the snow which gathers upon their 
exposed ledges. In fact, the parallelism and distinct¬ 
ness of the lines of white and black would have dis¬ 
satisfied a lover of the picturesque. Porphyritic rocks, 
however, occasionally broke their too great uniformity; 
occasionally, too, the red snow showed its colors; and 
at intervals of very few miles—indeed, wherever the 
disrupted masses offered a passage-way—glaciers were 
seen descending toward the water’s edge. All the back 
country appeared one great rolling distance of glacier. 
“August 6, Saturday.—Cape Alexander and Cape 
Isabella, the headlands of Smith’s Sound, are now in 
sight; and, in addition to these indications of our pro¬ 
gress toward the field of search, a marked swell has 
set in after a short blow from the northward, just such 
as might be looked for from the action of the wind 
upon an open water-space beyond. 
“Whatever it may have been when Captain Ingle- 
field saAv it a year ago, the aspect of this coast is now 
most uninviting. (8) As we look far off to the west, the 
snow comes down with heavy uniformity to the water s 
