﻿300 TERMINATION OF SEA VOYAGE. August, 



occurred during the interval. If the weather should 

 improve, it was our intention to remain some days 

 longer, to watch its effects on the ice. The higher 

 grounds at this time were covered with snow, but 

 the lower lands were mostly bare. 



The unavoidable conclusion of our sea voyage 

 while still at some distance from the Coppermine 

 River was contemplated by me, and I believe by 

 every individual of the party, with great regret. I 

 had hoped, that by conveying the boats and stores 

 up the Coppermine River beyond the range of the 

 Eskimos we could deposit them in a place of safety 

 to be available for a voyage to Wollaston Land next 

 summer. But abandoned as they must now be on 

 the coast, we could not expect that they would 

 escape the searches of the hunting parties who 

 would follow up our foot-marks, and who were 

 certain to break up the boats to obtain their copper 

 fastenings. The unusual tardiness of the spring, 

 and our unexpected delay on Methy Portage for 

 want of horses, caused our arrival on the arctic 

 coast to be considerably later than I had in secret 

 anticipated, though it differed little from the date 

 I had thought it prudent to mention when asked 

 to fix a probable time. Even a few days, so 

 unimportant in a year's voyage elsewhere, are of 

 vital consequence in a boat navigation to the east- 

 ward of Cape Parry, where six weeks of summer 



