i 4 2 LEA VE POND'S BA Y. Chap. X. 



CHAPTER X. 



Leave Pond's Bay — A gale in Lancaster Sound — The Beechey Island 

 depot — An arctic monument — Reflections at Beechey Island — 

 Proceed up Barrow's Strait — Peel Sound — Port Leopold — Prince 

 Regent's Inlet — Bellot Strait — Flood -tide from the west — Unsuc- 

 cessful efforts — Fox's Hole — No water to the west — Precautionary 

 measures — Fourth attempt to pass through. 



6th Aug. — Continued calms have delayed us. This even- 

 ing we steamed from Pond's Bay northward, although our 

 coals have been sadly reduced by the almost constant 

 necessity for steam-power since leaving the Waigat. The 

 three steam-whalers have gone southward ; none others 

 have arrived. They appear to us to be leaving the whales 

 behind them ; we saw many whilst up the strait, and at the 

 edge of the remaining ice. The natives said that these 

 animals arrive in early spring, and do not pass through 

 the strait into any other sea beyond ; that they themselves 

 would remain as long as the ice remained, but when it all 

 broke up, they would return into Baffin's Bay and go south- 

 ward. 



Monday evening, qt/i. — On the night of the 6th a pleasant 

 fair breeze sprang up, and enabled us to dispense with the 

 engine. An immense bear was shot ; he measured 8 feet 

 7 inches in length, and is destined for the museum of the 

 Royal Dublin Society. On the 7 th the wind gradually 

 freshened and frustrated my intention of examining the 

 wreck spoken of near Cape Hay ; at night it increased to a 

 very heavy gale. Although past Navy Board Inlet, very 



