1853.] DISCOVER THE MOUTH OF A STRAIT. 269 



eleven hours, or 13'2 miles. I considered that eight 

 miles was a fair mean, and fifteen an excited, journey ; 

 but on the third day from quitting Cape Disraeli we had 

 made good, notwithstanding the heavy difficulties attend- 

 ing our starting, thirty-six geographic miles. 



In the first instance I thought forty minutes might 

 be deemed a long spell, but I soon ascertained that fre- 

 quently, our time-bearer being ahead picking the road, 

 and his signal unnoticed, that fifty-six minutes or more 

 stole away imperceptibly. Of this however I seldom 

 failed to learn, after pitching, by some dry remark from 

 some of the party; they always fancied they had achieved 

 at least fifteen miles. The reflected rays of the sun be- 

 tween midnight and six A.M. being principally in our 

 faces, caused much inconvenience to the eyes, and re- 

 tarded the morning's work considerably. 



May 17. The latter part of our journey has been 

 through rough and hummocky ice. About midnight 

 we lunched near the first seal-hole we had noticed since 

 passing Star Bluff Bath ; about six A.M. we encamped 

 on the smooth floe, but the weather was too thick to dis- 

 tinguish any objects but our two friends, the direction 

 bluffs (Capes Derby and Stanley), distant about five miles 

 south-east. The temperature had now risen to 1 5. 



On coming out at noon to obtain the latitude, the fog 

 had dispersed, revealing to me a most interesting channel, 

 inviting our entry : the main road was here clearly de- 

 lineated, and studded on either side by noble, beetling 

 cliffs, each exhibiting a similar dark belt of stratification 

 above the line of debris, affording, to me at least, a nobler 

 and more acceptable view than any vista of palaces. 



