OF THE POLAR SEA. 



383 



from their cry, " caccawees. " We also saw some gray geese and 

 swans. The only seal we procured during our voyage, was killed 

 this day; it happened to be blind, and our men imagining it to be 

 ini bad health, would not taste the flesh : we, however, were less 



nice. 



We encamped at the end of twenty-four miles' march, on the 

 north-west side of a bay, to which- I have given the name of my 

 friend Captain Parry, now employed in the interesting research 

 for a North- West Passage. Drift wood had become very scarce, and 

 we found none near the encampment; a fire, however, was not 

 required, as we served out pemmican for supper, and the evening 

 was unusually warm. 



On the following morning the breeze was fresh, and the waves 

 rather high. In paddling along the west side of Parry's Bay, we 

 saw several deer, but owing to the openness of the country, the 

 hunters could not approach them. They killed, however, two swans 

 that were moulting, several cranes, and many gray geese. We pro- 

 cured also some caccawees, which were then moulting and assembled 

 in immense flocks. In the evening, having rounded Point Beechy, 

 and passed Hurd's Islands, we were exposed to much inconvenience 

 and danger from a heavy rolling sea ; the canoes receiving many 

 severe blows, and shipping a good deal of water, which induced us 

 to encamp at five P.M. opposite to Cape Croker, which we had 

 passed on the morning of the 1 2th ; the channel, which lay between 

 our situation and it, being about seven miles wide. We had now 

 reached the northern point of entrance into this sound, which I 

 have named in honour of Lord Viscount Melville, the First Lord of 

 the Admiralty. It is thirty miles wide from east to west, and twenty 

 from north to south ; and • in coasting it we had sailed eighty-seven 

 and a quarter geographical miles. Shortly after the tents were 

 pitched, Mr. Back reported from the steersmen that both 

 canoes had sustained material injury during this day's voyage. I 



