DEASE 4ND SIMPSON'S DISCOVERIES. 243 



wards to explore to the eastward from Point Turnagain 

 of Fra-nklin ; to determine whether Boothia Felix were 

 a peninsula, as Ross supposed, or an island ; and then to 

 push on in the same direction to some known point which 

 had been visited by Back. 



In July, 1837, they had reached Return Reef, where 

 Franklin was stopped. Beyond this all was new. Two 

 large rivers were discovered, the Garry and Colville, the 

 latter more than a thousand miles in length. Although 

 in the middle of the dog-days, the ground was frozen so 

 hard at four inches beneath the surface, that they could 

 scarcely drive in their tent-pegs. So keen was the 

 north-easterly wind, that " the spray froze on the oars 

 and rigging ; and out in the bay the ice lay smooth and 

 solid, as in the depth of a sunless winter." Yet even 

 here a few flowers cheered the eyes of the travellers, 

 and enlivened the stubborn soil. On the 1st of August, 

 further progress by water being impracticable, they 

 had gained but four miles on the four previous days, 

 Mr. Simpson, with some of the men, continued the jour- 

 ney on foot, while Mr. Dease and the others remained 

 in charge of the boats. The walking-party, after two 

 or three days' travel, fell in with a number of Esqui- 

 maux, from whom they hired an oomiak, or family-canoe, 

 in which to pursue the voyage along the lanes of open 

 water occasionally visible close to the beach. On the 

 4th, after passing the mouth of a large, deep river, " I 

 saw," says Mr. Simpson, " with indescribable emotions, 

 Point Barrow stretching out to the northward, and enclos- 

 ing Elson Bay, near the bottom of which we now were." 

 Fliia, it will be remembered, was the furthest point 

 attained by the Blossom's barge in 1826, an exploit com- 

 memorated by naming the bay after Lieut. Elson, one of 

 the officers in command. 



The party returned to the winter station on Great 



