194 CAPTAIN COLLINSON'S RECORDS. [June, 



he was rewarded for his exertions by the discovery of the 

 records left by H.M.S. Enterprise, which, having entered 

 this Strait on 30th of August, 1851, wintered in the 

 pack off in 1851-52 ; and the document, re-signed 29th 

 of May, 1852, further stated that he passed up to Point 

 Peel, returned, and, after following the west coast of 

 Baring Island as high as latitude 72 55' north, had re- 

 turned, and wintered 1851-52 in latitude 71 35' north, 

 longitude 117 40' west. 



The record also intimated, " that further informa- 

 tion of his movements would be found upon an islet in 

 71 36' north, and longitude 119 0' west." 



Taking provision for ten days, Lieutenant Mecham 

 started that night (morning in travelling time) to the 

 southward, in quest of further information. 



After passing Point Gordon the beach was found to 

 be thickly marked by the remains of Esquimaux encamp- 

 ments, and on the 9th of May they succeeded in reach- 

 ing the islet alluded to, and after several hours' search 

 found records, ten feet magnetic north of a small cairn 

 built upon its summit. 



By these documents it appears that a party from the 

 ' Enterprise' (in the sledge Resolution) had visited Point 

 Hearne on Melville Island in the summer of 1852 (Point 

 Hearne is the north-western extreme of Parry's Winter 

 Harbour), and that the other parties had examined the 

 north and south coasts of Prince Albert's Land. 



Upon quitting this position on the 27th of August, 

 1852, Captain Collinson contemplated tracing the Chan- 

 nel between Wollaston and Prince Albert's Land, as set 

 forth in his documents. 



