Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/392

362 stream. It falls into the sea in lat. 68° 2′ N., long. 104° 15′ W., and was named after the Right Hon. Edward Ellice. As we found nothing but drift willows on its banks, it must be entirely destitute of wood, and probably takes its rise in large lakes not far from Lake Beechey, discovered by Sir George Back. The bordering country consisted of green flats, varied by little lakes and rocky knolls. The latter, with low intervening beaches, form the general features of this part of the coast, and render it very difficult, at any distance, to distinguish the line of the mainland from a chain of islands. Our most useful rule in such cases was, that, while the former presented patches of green, the latter were in general perfectly barren. The bottom is a soft mud, and the water is discoloured and shallow, as will be seen by the soundings on the map: but, even were it otherwise, no ship would ever steer for shores so beset with hidden dangers; the first point of the mainland that she durst approach would be Cape Alexander.

The highest, lowest, and mean temperatures for July, the warmest month of the Arctic year, were respectively 77, 32, and degrees of Fahrenheit. The winds were strong and variable. The