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down the coast late in the eve — as the ice pack reached far to the S. & West and was setting in on shore & to the S. a knot & 1/2 an hour Thousands of King Eiders all males except a few females in larger flocks of 20 to 200 came streaming in long lines along the water — more coming down in front of the pack which stretched out on every side except a strip along shore to the S. down which more retreated.

July 26

A beautifully warm pleasant day with barely wind enough to make a ripple now & then or at times a tingling breeze. A small head of steam was put on and we made our way slowly down the coast {{strikethrough]]until[[/strikethrough]] which held the same low monotonous stretch of


sand & gravel beaches & lagoons until 20 to 30 miles N. of Cape Beaufort whence to the S. a very gradual rise in a low incline at first followed by normal hills & mts — with cliffs & bluffs fading dated sea & the highest point being at Cape Lisburne beyond which the coast hills decrease in altitude for some distance but extend close to or on the coast down to Cape Thompson and probably farther.

In the eve as the sun came near the horizon the effects of refraction became very striking and the steam whaler under went some strange changes such as being pulled up into a long spin or the hull diminished & spars lengthened &c — The air was filled with a faint[[strikethrough]][[?]][[/strikethrough]] haziness which rendered the