Elisha Kent Kane Diary

35

this distance it presents a mural face - which is constantly casting off ice bergs - ~ Its conjunction with the crate of America (Grinnell's Land) gives a fine section and shows on overlap of the land.

[sketch]

Here and there protruding rocks could be seen cemented in the sleep face of the ice and islands half overwhelmed by the advancing mass.

36

This channel which was the [sole?] connecting [trough?] of the Arctic waters with those of upper [Baffin's?] Bay was named after

It open with a width of [missing?] nearly due North ( ) of [ ] miles and contracts in Lat [ ] to a [Strait?] of [ ] miles. [This] bears the name of [ ] After this it gradually expands again its [Eastern?] sides heading and its [Western?].

The crowning discovery however was my long [predicated?] [open?] sea [as far down?] as Lat 80".30" the ice began to break [into?/with?] leads of ten [& even?] 15 miles in width. [Sheltering?] [contentedly in the N. by E.?] the Channel and between Capes [X.] and [Y.] which [mark?/made] the contracted passage of Kennedy Strait an area of water [50?] miles in diameter was covered with [immersera-?] [ble?] Sea fowl. The [Eider?] Duck - the [Great?] Goose the Loon and even the Long tailed [Mink] [(Heralda?)] of our own coasts!! A magnificent spectacle to [ones?] who had been so long away from animal life. A wonderful [one] when connected with our own [Southern?] [desolation?] and the long zones of ice which stand between [this] and the Southern Seas.

In Lat 81" N [illegible]. // a want of [concordance?] between their [last discovery/recovery?] and observed [position?] of [illegible] miles // the Land ice that [unmalleable?] [sign?] of open water [created?]. It [was] evidently broken up by a swell from the north. The [eyes/illegible]

37

could travel no longer.

At this point almost critical to [the?] discovery - Martin and Hans started on foot traveling the [Chord?] of a long bay - and making [to/for?] a Salient Cape which obstruct-ted a farther view to the N. and East.

They reached it after 18 [hours?] journey - and found that they could go no further -- open water bathed its precipetous face and hugged its [projectory/projecting?] point - [no?] view to the Eastward could be obtained but [in/to] the [illegible] - his eye travelled along - a lofty [illegible] coast - [watched?] by a [illegible].

The farthest point sighted was Lat 82 degrees [illegible] but thirty eight miles south of the point attained by the gallant Sir Edward Parry.

The above results have been projected upon the [scale?] which I constructed for our [first] full journeys a series of plane scales of a little less than 1/6 of an inch to the mile. I have from these which stand as vouchers of the original [field?] notes. A large [Hamstead] projection and a Mercator which serves as a [comparison?] with the Admiralty Chart and exhibits some [discrepancies?] between [Captn: Englefrald?] and myself.

Thursday July 6

The [roar?] of the Snow [torrents?] fills the air - and although no channel [debouches?] opposite our [brig?] we have be- come sensible of the attrition of fresh water upon the ice around us.

The water then.. [rose] to 33 degrees from [illegible] and small particles are seen through the cracks of the floe moving outwards.

The greater buyancy of the fresh water and the admirable law which [preserves?] its maximum density above the [pressing?] point enabled these snow [torrents?] to perform an important function in the economy of Nature.

Experiment proved to me that the entire surface of the bay is coated by pellicle or film of fresh water - which is of [course?] in contact with the under surface of the ice floes. This film is in rapid motion [that?] acting upon the ice mechanically by attrition as well as temperature. So well defined is this watery layer that at four inches below the surface it is perfectly fresh to the taste and in a large chasm which extends from observatory [unclear] transversely across our bay I failed with nitrate of silver to detect the salt.

The large ravine which goes by the name of Rio Santa Maria - Blessed Mary River - descends [300?] feet (by [Baron?]) in two 1/8 [unclear] miles - Throughout this tumultuous fall = the waters dashed against the rocks and suspected to other sources of heat acquire a temp of + 37°. This fact will readily explain the above experience.

Allowing a pellicle of four inches to cover the surface of our bay (an area of 36 miles) we have cubic feet [of?] 14.400 000 tons thus distributed - of pure fresh water above the salt of the sea. Extend this calculation to other discharging bays and remember the absolute division of the liquids in virtue of their diffusing densities and we may understand

[header] 39 [margin] Friday July 7 their influence upon the land is of these artic seas. The transit of Melville's Bay shows at a distance of 40 miles from land this fresh water surface stream which there and here received constant reinforcements from the melted floes.

The whalers do not exaggerate when they speak of filling their water casks from the open [leads? seas?]

To those abundant water supplies may be arrtributed the capricious currents of the ice channels in July - for these and their influence in conveying foreign matters - see my [draft?] paper notes.

The tern are evidently nesting upon the rocks of our bay but we have not yet found their eggs - Hans brought me a number of bumble bees (Bombus) which had made a nest in the decayed mosses. This nest contained many smaller bees and made when cemented by gum arabic a very interesting specimen.

The triangular head narrower than the thorax the oblong body and the presence of the Corticulum enabled me to separate these bees from the [apathi?] - but I doubt much if this be not a new species.

[The?] nest which was covered with arctic [heaths?]and contained a large number (12) of yound or horkers not [exceeding?] one (19/40[unclear]) half an inch long. The only other specimen obtained seemed to be the male the female could not be found in the nest.

We have now three specimens of the bumble bee dating as far back as May, & as late as Aug. 20. These last dates - were probably most Bees (Bombus [unclear]