352 ASSISTANCE SPIT. \Jufy, 



in August last, almost a spit in the fairway, and not far 

 from it an isolated mass of ice, evidently aground ; two 

 clangers which we have now time to determine, and as 

 the ice at present does not appear to offer any chance of 

 escape, the examination may afford amusement. 



From the view which this mount afforded, I could 

 trace open water from Cape Becher to a neck south-east 

 from us, about seven miles, affording a broad triangular 

 space of open water, within three miles east of our po- 

 sition. On the west it was met by another wedge of 

 water about two miles beyond our island, from which, in 

 a curve easterly, it formed up to our position at the floe- 

 edge. All this ice appeared firm, and did not indicate 

 any symptom of having moved this season near the small 

 island. It was grounded, and appeared to have formed 

 on it, not pressed up by violence : this little island, for 

 the present, was termed Assistance Spit. 



All the possible projections within and without the 

 Queen's Channel have now been so minutely visited and 

 searched, that I feel fully satisfied that Sir John Frank- 

 lin's ships left no traces of their visit, if they ever passed 

 up Wellington Channel, which we consider very proble- 

 matical. I speak not of small cairns, because he never, 

 with Fitzjames as his aid, would do anything by halves. 

 But we have but too often been disappointed even by a 

 moderate-sized stoue, to pass over anything constructed 

 of that material. It is true, cairns or piles will tumble ; 

 but they still leave enough to excite attention, although 

 some of Penny's travellers have not so placed them that 

 they are easily found : and the erection of two so near as 

 Cape Majendie and Cape Becher, and placing them on 



