APPENDIX NO. Y. 
377 
the mountains, having a form resembling a sugar-loaf, extend far back 
in the interior. This coast-line is interrupted by only two bays. 
June 23.—In consequence of a gale, we did not start until 0.30 a.m. 
After travelling about six miles we were arrested by floe-ice in an inlet, 
which was pressed over the land-ice against the mountains to the height 
of one hundred feet. Beyond this there was no ice-belt. We secured 
the dogs and left the sledge, as it would be impossible to transport them 
over these hummocks, which we succeeded in ourselves crossing with 
great difficulty. Our object was to ascertain the state of the travelling 
on the other side. We found it worse, with few landing-places, the 
cliffs overhanging the water and broken masses of ice. On these we 
ferried ourselves over to such pieces of ice as were attached to the 
coast. In this manner we travelled about four miles, and returned, 
after sighting a high cape on the north side of a bay before us, opposite 
to which lay an island. On reaching the sledge we made ourselves as 
comfortable as possible, and resolved to go on to-morrow without it. 
Here the ducks were less numerous, but gulls were seen in numbers. 
June 24.—We started on foot at 3 A.M., taking with us a small stock 
of provisions. We found great difficulty in crossing some places, 
where, in the absence of land-ice, we were forced to crawl over the 
rocks, or get on loose floating pieces of ice and jump from one to an¬ 
other, or else ferry ourselves until we could again reach the land. 
When about nine miles on our way to-day, we saw a bear with a 
young one at a short distance from us. Five of our dogs had followed 
us, and, seeing the bear, gave chase to it. The bears ran a considerable 
distance in-shore. The young one, which could not move fast enough, 
was pushed ahead by the old one, which sometimes turned round and 
faced the dogs in order to enable the little one to gain ground. 
Finally she stopped, and, taking the cub between her fore-legs, guarded 
it, and at the same time kept the dogs at a distance. She would some¬ 
times make a jump at them, but always kept her eye on the little one, 
nnd never left it unprotected. She was thus fighting them off when 
we came up, and Hans shot her dead and then killed the cub. We 
skinned both of them, and gave the old one to the dogs, but cached 
the young one, to be eaten on our return. The skins we wished to 
take with us to the ship. We found at this place the runner of an 
Esquimaux sledge. Many small pieces of willow, about an inch and 
a half in diameter, had drifted up the eastern slope of this bay. Much 
grass was seen, as well as many plants, all of which I have reported to 
Dr. Kane. We had wood enough, including the sledge-runner, to 
cook a large part of the bear. 
