244 TIDAL MOTIONS. \April, 



tended to feel the way for our boats, which would have 

 to travel in that direction, as well as to determine the 

 actual state of the ice in that exposed locality, for I had 

 my doubts of a permanently frozen sea throughout the 

 space beyond Exmouth Island, and the region westerly 

 and northerly. 



April 12. On the morning of the 12th of April they 

 started. About eight A.M. the thermometer ranged on 

 either side of zero ; on the 13th the temperature fell sud- 

 denly from 6 to 12 and 19; and at four A.M. 

 on the 14th to 25, attended by strong breezes from 

 the westward. This continuing until the 16th, I did not 

 give them credit for contending against such difficul- 

 ties, particularly the snow-drift we have experienced . I 

 certainly expected they would, to use the Arctic expres- 

 sion, have " bagged," or slept in their tents. These 

 breezes seem to have a surprising influence on the tides, 

 and this renders me still more anxious ; for when they 

 once become active, the sign is infallible, to my compre- 

 hension, that, like a mob, there must be vacant space 

 somewhere, from whence they came, and to which they 

 can return : nothing but open water, northward or west- 

 ward of this channel, can effect such motions. At one 

 time I had some suspicion that the tide-gauge was foul, 

 but it moved too freely, and the customary ice-cracks, 

 termed bolts-cracking, have of late been more loud and 

 frequent. 



April 17. One week has elapsed : in three days Mr. 

 Grove will probably furnish me with the gratifying intel- 

 ligence that the division has safely reached the southern 

 shore. Climate and winds differ here so widely within 



