1853.] PREPARE PARTY FOR BEECHEY ISLAND. 373 



that colour being best seen either on a dark or white 

 ground ; indeed experience has taught me, that as a gene- 

 ral beacon flag, the yellow-blue horizontal can be distin- 

 guished beyond all others. At noon the temperature 

 was 30, but with every indication of approaching winter; 

 and as I remained uneasy about our position, the Master 

 was sent to mark out the shoal-line at which we should 

 take the ground, if driven in, so as to enable us to make 

 suitable preparation. This was effected by boring holes 

 and sounding, leaving staves at three fathoms. It ap- 

 pears that we had about a hundred yards to drive be- 

 fore taking the ground. 



On the 7th preparations were made for sending a 

 party in the 'Hamilton' to Beechey Island, in order to 

 ascertain the state of things there. As to saving the 

 chance of letters by the ' North Star,' my orders, if open 

 water existed, had taken effect on the 2nd, or some other 

 channel had offered. I could only forward my report of 

 movements up to the latest date, for safe deposit, until 

 some chance offered ; for this service Commander Ri- 

 chards volunteered as a matter of right, but I could not 

 spare his valuable aid at- such a critical moment, and 

 Lieutenant Osborn was therefore allotted to this duty. 

 My own well-tried crew were selected, substituting the 

 ice-quartermaster of the ' Pioneer' for my coxswain, whom 

 I could not spare ; and my light dog-sledge, constructed 

 to carry me and forty pounds' weight of instruments, was 

 added, to carry light loads at difficult or tender passes ; 

 five days only of provision were allotted, and every use- 

 less weight left behind. 



On the 9th, dirty, snowy weather ; barometer, 2y - 45; 



