OF THE POLAR SEA. 



393 



drew a river of considerable size, that discharges its waters into 

 Walker's Bay ; on the banks of which stream he saw a piece of 

 wood, such as the Esquimaux use in producing fire, and other marks 

 so fresh that he supposed they had recently visited the spot. We 

 therefore left several iron materials for them. Our men, cheered by 

 the prospect of returning, embarked with the utmost alacrity; and, 

 paddling with unusual vigour, carried us across Riley's and Walker's 

 Bays, a distance of twenty miles before noon, when we landed on 

 Slate-Clay Point, as the wind had freshened too much to permit us 

 to continue the voyage. The whole party went to hunt, but returned 

 without success in the evening, drenched with the heavy rain which 

 commenced soon after they had set out. Several deer were seen, 

 but could not be approached in this naked country; and as our 

 stock of pemmican did not admit of serving out two meals, we went 



dinnerless to bed. 



Soon after our departure to-day, a sealed tin-case, sufficiently 

 buoyant to float, was thrown overboard, containing a short account of 

 our proceedings, and the position of the most conspicuous points. 

 The wind blew off the land, the water was smooth, and as the sea 

 is in this part more free from islands than in any other, there was 

 every probability of its being driven off the shore into the current ; 

 which, as I have before mentioned, we suppose, from the circum- 

 stance of Mackenzie's River being the only known stream that 

 brings down the wood we have found along the shores, to set to the 



eastward . 



August 23. — A severe frost caused us to pass a comfortless night. 

 At two P.M. we set sail, and the men voluntarily launched out to 

 make a traverse of fifteen miles across Melville Sound, before a 

 strong wind and heavy sea. The privation of food, under which 

 our voyagers were then labouring, absorbed every other terror; 

 otherwise the most powerful persuasion could not have induced 

 them to attempt such a traverse. It was with the utmost difficult} 



