1854.] PROCEEDINGS OF LIEUTENANT MECHAM. 193 



At this position Lieutenant Mecham deposited eleven 

 days' provisions, and Mr. Krabbe parted company in tho 

 prosecution of his orders to seek the ' Investigator' in the 

 Bay of Mercy, and on his return to the Sailors' Home 

 to re-examine and separate the good from the damaged 

 bread. 



Quitting this cachette, Lieutenant Mecham proceeded 

 to the south-south-west, following the trend of the land; 

 but on the 26th meeting with very old ice, deeply co- 

 vered with snow, totally disagreeing in character with 

 that described as occurring in Prince of Wales Strait, 

 moreover the high land on either side terminating ab- 

 ruptly, beyond which the coast appeared to be low and 

 sweeping across the distance, satisfied him that he had 

 not hit upon the intended landfall. He therefore retraced 

 his steps, reduced the allowance to one-half, recovered 

 his cachette, and in two journeys was more successful in 

 reaching the entrance of Prince of Wales Straits. The 

 bearings obtained of Melville Island and other observa- 

 tions satisfied him that the land was laid down too far 

 to the eastward. 



Having reached a position south of Cape Russell, he 

 deposited his cache, and proceeded to the south-west- 

 ward, keeping about two miles off the land. 



Notwithstanding the ice was considerably pressed up, 

 the snow which filled the irregularities was tolerably hard, 

 and travelling good. 



On several low points, on which he landed to obtain 

 fuel, he found drift-wood in great abundance. 



On the 7th of May, at midnight, he landed on the 

 Princess Royal Islands, where, on examining the cairn. 



VOL. II. O 



