CAPTAIN COLLINSON. 467 



mud bank, and, the tide falling, every exertion t^ get 

 the Phoenix afloat proved useless, though the Talbot 

 was warped off into deep water, where, both her bower 

 anchors being let go, the chain of the small one was 

 passed into the Phoenix's quarter hawse-hole, and a 

 heavy strain brought upon it. At three the following 

 morning the strong breeze broke the ice away from the 

 head of the bay, and, driving out, took the Phoenix on 

 her starboard broadside, and laid her over on her beam 

 ends, forcing her still further on shore, and tearing off 

 the whole of the false keel. The Talbot, though pushed 

 again on the bank, escaped any damage from the ice, 

 being sheltered by this vessel, which was to windward 

 of her. The day flood proving only a half-tide, we 

 remained immovably fixed until the evening, by which 

 time all the boats of both vessels had been laden with 

 heavy stores to lighten this vessel ; and I am happy to 

 say that, about 11 p. sr., both ships floated off into deep 

 water, with no other damage than I have stated. 7 ' 



Ilaving now disposed of all the searching expeditions 

 on the Baffin's Bay side of the continent, excepting only 

 that of Dr. Kane, to which we shall devote a separate 

 chapter, it remains for us to complete the history of 

 the other expeditions that proceeded by way of Behring's 

 Strait. To connect the thread of our narrative, we must 

 remind the reader that we left her majesty's ship Enter- 

 prise, Captain Collinson, consort of the Investigator, in 

 the Pacific Ocean. She reached the latitude of Icy 

 Cape, September 22d, 1850 ; when, meeting the pack- 

 ice, she went south for a warmer climate, so as to be 

 ready to resume operations in the season of 1851. All 

 that Collinson knew of the position of M'Clure was a 

 report from the Plover that the Investigator had been 

 seen, under a press of canvas, steering northward, off 

 Wainwright Inlet. Unfortunately, one of the rumors 



