572 Narrative of Captain Parry's Attempt 



"■ In the course of this day's journey we met with a quantity of snow ting- 

 ed, to the depth of several inches, with some red colouring matter, of which a 

 .portion was preserved in a bottle for future examination. This circumstance 

 recalled to our recollection our having frequently before, in the course of this 

 journey, remarked, that the loaded sledges, in passing over hard snow, left 

 upon it a light rose coloured tint, which, at the time, we attributed to the 

 colouring matter being pressed out of the birch of which they were made. To- 

 day, however, we observed, that the runners of the boats, and even our own 

 foot-steps, exhibited the same appearance ; and, on watching it more narrowly 

 afterwards, we found the same effect to be produced, in a greater or less de- 

 gree, by heavy pressure, on almost all the ice over which we passed, though 

 a magnifjnng glass could detect nothing to give it this tinge. The colour of 

 the red snow which we bottled, and which oftly occurred on two or three 

 spots, appeared somewhat different from this, being rather of a salmon, than 

 of a rose, colour, but both were so striking, as to be subject of common re- 

 mark •." 



On Sunday, the 5th August, in Latitude 81° 54/ 47^ the 

 air, in the shade, at noon was 35", and in the sun 42°. This 

 day they rowed across a lake of fresh water on the ice. It 

 was a quarter of a mile long, and varied in depth from two to 

 four feet, which, together with an island situated in the middle 

 of it, the rugged ice, by which it was bounded, and the beauti- 

 ful blue of the water, gave it a singular and picturesque ap- 

 pearance. On the 11th of August they observed such indica- 

 tions of an open sea as could not be mistaken, much of the ice 

 being " washed" as by a heavy sea, with small rounded fragments 

 thrown on the surface, and a good deal of dirty ice occurring. 



*' We also," Captain PaiTy remarks, " met with several pieces of drift 

 Avood and birch bark, the first time since we had entered the ice ; and the sea 

 was crowded with shrimps and other sea insects, principally the Clio boreaUs 

 and Argonauta arciica, on which numerous birds were feeding. After pass- 

 ing through a good deal of loose ice, it became gradually more and more 

 open, till at length, about a quarter before eleven a. m., we heard the first 

 sound of the swell under the hollow margin of the ice, and, in a quarter of an " 

 hour, had reached the open sea, which was dashing with heavy surges against 

 the outer masses. We hauled the boats upon one of these to eat our last meal 

 upon the ice, and to complete the necessary supply of water for our little 

 voyage to Table Island, from which we were now distant fifty miles, our la- 

 titude being 81° 34', and longitude 18i° E. A light air springing up from the 

 north-west, we again launched the boats, and, at eight a. m. finally quitted 

 the ice, after having taken up our abode upon it for forty-eight days |.'* 



On the 12th August they reached the island, or rather rock, 

 to the northward of Table Island, where their provisions had 



* Narrative, p. 109. f Narrative, p. lia 



