PIM'S JOURNEY. 445 



along the shore ; but they soon sent back the relief-party 

 which had brought the new sledge, and a few days after 

 Bet out to cross a strait, some thirty miles wide, which, 

 when it is open (as no man has yet seen it), is one 

 avenue of the north-west passage discovered by these 

 expeditions. 



They got on slowly, and with great difficulty. ' Only 

 three miles the first day, four miles the second day, two 

 and a half the third, and half a mile the fourth ; this 

 was all they gained by most laborious hauling over the 

 broken ice, dragging one sledge at a time, and some- 

 times carrying forward the stores separately, and going 

 back for the sledges. Two days more gave them 

 another eight miles, but on the seventh day of their 

 passage across this narrow strait the great sledge 

 slipped off a smooth hummock, broke one runner, and 

 brought the party to a stand-still. 



Having now nothing but the little dog-sledge to carry 

 them on, with the ship a hundred miles off, and the 

 thermometer at eighteen below zero, the two officers 

 had some discussion as to their future proceedings. 

 Dr. Domville, whose sledge, the James Fitzjames, was 

 still sound, thought they had best leave the stores and 

 go back ; but Lieut. Pirn, who had the chief command, 

 thought otherwise ; so he took the James Fitzjames, 

 with the two men belonging to it, and pushed on, leav- 

 ing the doctor on the floe, but giving him directions to 

 take the broken sledge back to land, and there wait for 

 him to return. 



On went the lieutenant and his two men, over ice, 

 over hummock, feeding their dogs on preserved meats 

 for want of game, - - until they left the strait behind, 

 and came to Banks's Land. Still they found no game. 

 Pirn was taken sick, and for a whole day was obliged 

 to remain shut up in the tent. A few hours' sleep re- 



