Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/306

276 well-grown young. The mothers scampered up the highest rocks, whence they called loudly to their offspring; and the latter, unable to save themselves by flight, baffled our search by hiding themselves among the willows which fringe the stream. The leader of the whole gang—a huge ferocious old fellow—stood his ground, and was shot by M'Kay. At this place our only thermometer was unluckily broken. The mean temperature of the preceding part of July was 43.7°, being 7.2° colder than the same period at Fort Confidence; where, however, some deduction might fairly be made, in consequence of the impossibility of finding an open place for the fixed instrument, on which the sun's rays did not fall at some hour of his long daily circuit.

27th.—The manner of our journey to-day may be compared to the evolutions of an expert skater; for, except at the immediate margin, the ice lay fixed and immoveable in the almost innumerable little rocky bays, creeks, and coves which indent this part of the coast. In one place we had to carry boats and cargoes over a solid floe, that still reclined high and dry upon the rocks. The islands lying off the coast reposed amidst the glittering field as if they were gigantic stones set in enamel.

We advanced next day for three or four hours