378 TRY LAKES FOR FISH. [September, 



nant Osborn that no uncertainty should exist, or that the 

 boat must accompany him. About eight P.M. Dr. Lyall 

 started. This diminished our crew by twelve working 

 hands. 



I walked out to the floe-edge, nearly a mile, with Com- 

 mander Richards ; but it was very clear to me, that with 

 the bay ice formed, it was useless to attempt any further 

 operations for cutting out. On my return I ascended 

 the hill immediately above the ship, where I obtained 

 the latitude as 75 32' N., and a very clear view of the 

 late space of open water, now skinned over with bay ice. 

 The heavy hummocks, where we had picked up the Hal- 

 kett's boat, were still fast, water-washed, and free from 

 floe ! Had we fortunately held on there, we should pos- 

 sibly be now at Beechey Island. However, to the de- 

 crees of fate we must submit cheerfully. Moving along 

 the land-ridges I visited the deep ravine, where proba- 

 bly, at some remote period, a river rolled impetuous into 

 the sea. It had cut its channels deeply, and in some 

 instances was bounded by abutting cliffs on either side, 

 narrowing it to forty yards, and again expanding into 

 five hundred ; heavy rounded stones and radiated chan- 

 nels affording the impression of a vast flow of water. It 

 was active even at this late season, and where we fre- 

 quently broke in, the stream was running beneath with 

 a rivulet power ; on the west also there was evidently a 

 waterfall of some twelve feet. But there were very ex- 

 tensive inland lakes to warrant this constant escape of 

 water, and their corrugated margins clearly indicated, 

 although sheathed with six-inch ice, that their level was 

 daily decreasing. In one of these, attempts were made 



