248 NORTH-EAST EXPEDITION STARTS. [_May, 



' Londesborough ' . . 7 men, 2 officers, 40 days' provision. 

 ' Dauntless,' Grove . 7 1 40 



' Enterprise,' AUard . 10 1 50 

 28 men, 1230 rations. 



We were also attended by the sledge-boat ' Hamilton/ 

 under the Blanche banner, two Cape York dogs, and 

 three pups. Our patience being exhausted, at six A.M. 

 on the 2nd we took our departure from the ship, not in- 

 aptly termed the " Deserted Village," cleared the Sound, 

 and before noon found the sun, with a temperature be- 

 tween + 3 and +6, unpleasantly oppressive. 



The ' Hamilton' was at first attached to the three 

 sledges, but it was subsequently found preferable to at- 

 tach her solely to the ' Loudesborough,' taking reliefs of 

 four men from the other two sledges, as circumstances 

 required. 



Several seals were noticed on our journey towards 

 Village Point, but all too wary to permit any one to get 

 within shot. Indeed, unless these animals are instanta- 

 neously killed, they preserve such a convenient distance 

 to the hole in the ice, that their dying agonies alone 

 would cause them to slip or wriggle through before 

 they could be secured. As the snow was deep and soft, 

 and the day warm, our sledges, cutting deeply into the 

 snow, made but slow progress. I therefore walked on, 

 accompanied by Messrs. Grove and Allard, reaching 

 Village Point about 2.15. Here we found a large sheet 

 of water,* extending nearly across this narrow strait, and 

 about one mile in length, in which several very inquisi- 



* Today the open water was also noticed, extending from the south 

 point of the Sound to Spit Island. 



