274 FURTHER PROGRESS BARRED. {May, 



headland, and had now the prospect of adding further 

 lands to Her Majesty's Polar territories in the north- 

 west. But we had not yet finished ; the furthest avail- 

 able station must be reached, and the colours planted 

 on the eastern head of this new strait. 



May 20. At seven A.M. (temp. 20) we reached tho 

 bounding cliff, possibly fifteen hundred feet above the 

 sea, which was named, in compliment to one of our ban- 

 ner ladies, Britannia Cliffs : beyond this, advance was 

 absurd, but not impracticable for possibly three miles, 

 but only to descend to the floe, and reascend with loss 

 of strength, etc. I determined therefore to be content 

 with my position, and make good my ground, preferring 

 complete observations to any puerile attempt at enlarg- 

 ing my " streak upon paper" at the expense of want of 

 verification (English, truth}. We surveyors know the 

 value of " taking time by the forelock :" that only could 

 indelibly establish our furthest, as well as the position of 

 the extreme land in sight. 



Here we stood on this noble headland on the 20th of 

 May, in a bright, warm sun, in latitude 76 30' 42" north, 

 and eastward of 90 west, with an open navigable sea 

 below us: yes! the "Polar Sea," for aught any man 

 knows to the contrary, beneath us ; to the south-east- 

 ward several large arms, or inland rivers of some extent, 

 penetrating, even visibly to us, deeply into the land, form- 

 ing probably other islets, and connecting eventually with 

 Jones's Strait or Sound. On this bare, bleak mountain, 

 having obtained all that was required, I at length went 

 to sleep, and for the first time probably disappointment 

 and fatigue rendered my nap sound. The land on the op- 



