that, having stranded on the beach, were
dissolving with great rapidity. A regular tide of six hours affecting
the rate of our progress, an allowance was made for it in the reckoning.

The coast consists of precipitous banks, similar in structure to the
bituminous-shale cliffs at Whitby, in Yorkshire. They gradually increase
in altitude from Cape Bathurst, and near our encampment their height
exceeded two hundred and fifty feet. The shale was in a state of
ignition in many places, and the hot sulphureous airs from the land were
strongly contrasted with cold sea-breezes with which, in the morning,
they alternated. The combustion had proceeded to a considerable extent
on the point where we landed at noon. Much alum had formed, and the
baked clays of yellow, brown, white, and red colours, caused the place
to resemble a brick-field or a pottery. This point, which was named
after Dr. Traill, of Liverpool, lies in latitude 70 degrees 19 minutes
N. The interior of the country, as seen from the top of the cliffs,
appeared to be nearly level, and to abound in small lakes. The soil was
clayey, and from the recent thaw wet and soft. Tufts of the beautiful
phlox, before mentioned, were scattered over these, otherwise unsightly
wastes; and, notwithstanding the scanty vegetation, rein-deer were
numerous. Some of the young ones, to whom man was doubtless a novel
object, came trotting up to gratify their curiosity, and were suffered
to depart unmolested. The sea here abounds in molluscae, and many black
whales were seen; also king-ducks, eiders, snow-birds, hawks, and a
large moth.

[Sidenote: Thursday, 20th.] We embarked at half-past two on the morning
of the 20th, and ran alongshore for two hours with a strong and
favourable breeze, when shoals lying off the mouth of a pretty large
river, led us six or seven miles from the coast. The breeze, which was
off the land, freshened considerably, and raised a short breaking sea,
through which we attempted to pull towards the shore, but the boats
shipped much water, and made little head-way. We, therefore, set the
sails again, and, fortunately fetched under a headland, and effected a
landing. The whole of the pemmican in the Union, and some of that in the
Dolphin, was wet on this occasion. In the morning we had passed two
Esquimaux tents, pitched on the beach, but the inmates seeming to be
asleep, we did not disturb them, being unwilling to lose the fair wind
by any delay.

Soon after lan