382 KENNEDY'S JOURNEY. 



enough to have been still so near a shelter when caught 

 by it, as we had much difficulty in keeping on our feet, 

 from the violence of the whirling eddies that came 

 sweeping along an exposed headland near us. Such 

 was the force of the wind, that column after column of 

 whirling spray was raised by it out of a continuous lane 

 of water, more than a mile broad, which the present 

 gale had opened out along the coast, at the distance of 

 only a few yards from our present encampment. As 

 these successive columns were lifted out of the water, 

 they were borne onward with a speed scarcely less 

 rapid than the ' wings of the wind ' itself. Whilst de- 

 tained here, we narrowly escaped being buried by an 

 infant avalanche ; a hardened mass of snow of several 

 tons 7 weight having been disengaged from the summit 

 of the cliff above us." 



So severe did this part of the road prove, that the 

 sledges, moccasins, and snow-shoes, were severely dam- 

 aged. On the whole party being collected at Fury 

 Beach, it was found necessary to send back to the ship 

 for additional supplies. They were much indebted here 

 to the old stores of the Fury, which were found to be 

 in excellent preservation, although they had lain for 

 thirty years exposed to the weather on the shores of 

 these icy seas. 



The journey on which they had now entered would 

 occupy, it was supposed, about three months, during 

 which time they hoped to survey upwards of a thousand 

 miles. It was found, upon calculation, that six men 

 could not carry a sufficient quantity of provisions to 

 sustain them for so long a period ; so the plan was 

 adopted of taking fourteen men as far as Brentford 

 Bay, from which point eight of the travellers were to 

 return to the ship, while the remaining six would pro- 



