1854.] HEALTH OF CREWS AT BEECHEY ISLAND. 205 



ice-ridge thrown up in October. In some places it ex- 

 ceeds four feet, and brought adventurers into very awk- 

 ward dilemmas. The main floe is also covered by very 

 extensive surfaces of water, which the fissures are not 

 sufficiently open yet to carry off. Commander Richards 

 and party returned this evening without success. The 

 few brent-geese and eider-duck are very shy ; indeed, 

 after passing the neck of this channel abreast of Cape 

 Bowden, game appears to forsake the land. The expe- 

 rience of two seasons negatives any confidence as to sub- 

 sisting travellers by the aid of the gun. It is here, as I 

 have found in my visits to other parts of the world, one 

 lucky day may afford full occupation and furnish a heavy 

 supply of game, but that may not be repeated ; nor have 

 we any right, from such single events, to delude travellers 

 with prospects of being sustained by a continuance of 

 similar good fortune. 



On the 4th Mr. Roche arrived with a dog-sledge from 

 Beechey Island. I gather from Captain Kellett's letter 

 that travelling has now become troublesome ; he ob- 

 serves, under date of 3rd of July : " It was, and is at 

 this moment, more swimming than walking on the floe. 

 A good deal of caution is necessary. Mr. Has well had 

 a narrow escape the other day ; he fell in, and could not 

 possibly have got out but by the assistance of another 

 person. 



" We have today twenty-one men on the sick list ; 

 some few standards that will not be off before we reach 

 England. Out of this number three only are ' Investi- 

 gator's' men, who have been ill nearly the last three 

 years. The remainder of her men are looking right well, 



