192 PROCEEDINGS OF LIEUTENANT MECHAM. \June, 



owing to the door being barricaded by wet sods and the 

 necessary implements secured inside, a caution not lost 

 upon them. After provisioning and securing "the Home," 

 they proceeded on the 13th, deposited a record on "the 

 Sandstone " in Winter Harbour, crossed over Point 

 Hearne, and travelled about three miles off the land to- 

 wards Cape Providence. 



On the 18th they shaped their course for Cape Russell 

 the north-east point of Baring or Banks' Land, and 

 changed their hours of travel from day to night. 



About eight miles south of Cape Providence they en- 

 countered the first range of heavy hummocks, composed 

 of young ice ; having passed through this, which was es- 

 timated at five miles in breadth, they entered on the old 

 floes, generally girt by ridges of pressed-up young ice. 



About the centre of the Strait, dividing Melville Island 

 from Banks' Land, they found the floes "old, and of 

 greater extent;" and as they approached the southern 

 land, being visited by dense fogs, they frequently found 

 themselves entangled among hummocks and deep snow, 

 which rendered travelling very laborious and harassing. 



On the 24th of April the land was indistinctly seen, 

 by telescope, about six miles distant ; and shortly after, 

 on the atmosphere clearing, they found that they had 

 passed through the belt of old ice, and before them a 

 large extent of young pressed-up ice presented. 



On the 25th they reached a low point at the entrance 

 of an inlet, where they encamped, believing it to be Cape 

 Russell, as the high land near Cape Providence on Mel- 

 ville Island was distinctly perceptible, bearing about north 

 three-quarters east. 



