264 KELLETT AND MOORE'S EXPEDITION. 



* 



in to examine Wainwright's Inlet, while Commander 

 Moore went on shore, erected a mark, and buried a 

 bottle containing information about the boats. This 

 place, unhappily, was found too shallow to afford harbor- 

 age ; else it would have proved an excellent retreat, on 

 account, at once, of its high latitude, of its being a resort 

 for reindeer, of the friendliness of the natives, and of 

 there being no nearer harbor to the south than Kotze- 

 bue's Sound, while even that place was regarded by the 

 ice-masters as an unsafe wintering quarter. 



From the 1st of August till the 17th, Cape Lisburn 

 being appointed for a rendezvous, the ships made 

 actire explorations in various directions near shore, 

 and away northward as far as they could penetrate. On 

 the 17th the Herald discovered a new territory. " At 

 forty minutes past nine," on that day, says Captain 

 Kellett, " the exciting report of ' Land ho ! ' was made 

 from the mast-head : both mast-heads were soon after- 

 wards crowded. In running a course along the pack 

 toward our first discovery, a small group of islands was 

 reported on our port-beam, a considerable distance 

 within the outer margin of the ice. Still more distant 

 than this group (from the deck), a very extensive and 

 high land was reported, which I had been watching for 

 some time, anxiously awaiting a report from some one 

 else. There was a fine clear atmosphere (such a one 

 as can only be seen, in this climate, except in the direc- 

 tion of this extended land), where the clouds rolled in 

 numerous immense masses, occasionally leaving the 

 very lofty peaks uncapped ; where could be distinctly 

 seen columns, pillars, all very broken, which is charac- 

 teristic of the higher headlands in this sea --East Cape 

 and Cape Lisburn, for example. With the exception of 

 the north-east and south-east extremes, none of the lower 

 land could be seen, unless, indeed, what I took, at first, 



