78 THOUGHTS ON VIEWING CAPE RILET. \AugUst, 



Franklin's people. I very much regret that the articles 

 had not been found by us. I am not presumptuous 

 enough to fancy I know more than others, but there is 

 a sort of freemasonry in men accustomed to distress, 

 which enables them to read the movements of others, 

 induced by the recollection of what they have themselves 

 practised. Such a feeling has ever remained fixed in my 

 mind ; but several important questions arise. What tents 

 do we know of having bolt-ropes ? AVhy would they cut 

 them off? But, on the other hand, I have had to cut 

 up my sails, to make sandals for my men ! Again, for 

 what use was that rake ? Not to take objects of natural 

 history, but to detach the edible fuci, which my men and 

 officers have repeatedly seen me seek, and eat with satis- 

 faction. The inner low-water beach and rocks, immedi- 

 ately under the point at Cape Riley, furnish this fucus 

 (dulse). 



Captains Kellett, Pullen, and myself have had some 

 little practice in magnetic observations, and we were 

 unanimously of opinion that this station never was se- 

 lected for such service, or, if so, very injudiciously, as 

 the vertical mass of mountains overhanging would preju- 

 dice any results obtained. In plain terms, I believe that 

 some accident occurred there ; and possibly they had to 

 cross the bay, to regain the ships, if they were there. 

 Another argument against tents is, that they are sup- 

 plied by the Ordnance, are not of canvas, and could not 

 have the service-mark in their four-stranded cords or lines. 



This then must still remain clouded in mystery. An- 

 other consideration forces itself on the minds of men who 

 work in these temperatures At what season would they 

 propose to make their magnetic observations ? Not at all 



