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bonsall’s story. 
of the bays; and, as it was already affected by the 
warm sun, it called for great care in crossing it. They 
encountered drifts which were altogether impenetrable, 
and in such cases coidd only advance by long circuits, 
after reconnoitring from the top of icebergs. 
“I have tried in vain to find out some good general 
rule, when traversing the ice near the coast, to avoid 
the accumulation of snows and liummock-ridges. It 
appears that the direct line between headland and 
headland or cape and cape is nearly always obstructed 
by broken ice; while in the deep recesses the grounded 
ice is even worse. I prefer a track across the middle 
of the bay, outside of the grounded ices and inside of 
the liummock-ridges; unless, as sometimes happens, 
the late fall-ice is to be found extending in level flats 
outside. 
“This is evidently the season when the bears are in 
most abundance. Their tracks were everywhere, both 
on shore and upon the floes. One of them had the 
audacity to attempt intruding itself upon the party 
during one of their halts upon the ice; and Bonsall 
tells a good story of the manner in which they received 
and returned his salutations. It was about half an 
hour after midnight, and they were all sleeping away 
a long day’s fatigue, when McGary either heard or felt, 
he could hardly tell which, something that was scratch¬ 
ing at the snow immediately by his head. It waked 
him just enough to allow him to recognise a huge 
animal actively engaged in reconnoitring the circuit of 
the tent. His startled outcry aroused his companion- 
