464 
NOTE S. 
■with interior mere de glace , and are urged forward in their descent by the glacial 
accumulations of large areas. The mer de glace which occupies the central 
plateau of Northumberland is completely isolated and washed by the sea, and 
is necessarily dependent for its increments upon the atmospheric precipitation 
of a very limited surface; yet it sustains in its discharge no less than seven 
glaciers,—perhaps more,—one of which is half a mile in diameter by two hun¬ 
dred feet in depth. It is a startling instance of the redundance of Arctic 
ice-growth. 
Note 56 ; p. 430. 
This propensity of the bear—in fact, of all predatory animals—is alluded to 
by Scoresby and others. It was curiously shown in the March journey of 1854, 
when a woollen shirt of Mr. McGary’s was actually torn to shreds and twisted 
into coils. 
The subjoined aro given as aids to physical inquiry on the part of future 
travellers:— 
Directions to Sites of Rensselaer Harbor. 
1. The observatory was placed upon the northernmost of the rocky group of 
islets that formed our harbor. It is seventy-six English feet from the highest 
and northernmost salient point of this island, in a direction S. 14° E., or in one 
with said point and the S.E. projection of the southernmost islet of the group. 
2. A natural face of gneiss rock formed the western wall of the observatory. 
A crevice in this rock has been filled with melted lead, in the centre of which 
is a copper bolt. Eight feet from this bolt, and in the direction indicated by 
the crevice, stood the magnetometer. This direction is given in case of local 
disturbance from the nature of the surrounding rocks. 
8. On the highest point of the island mentioned in paragraph 1 is a deeply- 
chiselled arrow-mark filled with lead. This is twenty-nine feet above the mean 
tidal plane of our winter quarters for the years 1853-54. The arrow points to 
a mark on a rocky face denoting the lowest tide of the season : both of these 
arc referred by sextant to known points. 
4. In an enlarged crack five feet due west of above arrow is a glass jar 
containing documents. (See p. 345.) 
5. A cairn calls attention to these marks: nothing is placed within it. 
Note.— The author is not responsible for the accuracy of the sketches on 
pages 291 and 300, the rough original sketches having been modified by the 
artist. 
END OF VOL. I. 
