Sept. 1858. PASS THROUGH BELLOT STRAIT. 167 



masses in particular, each of them perched upon three 

 smaller ones. The rock is gneiss ; there is also much 

 granite, and even upon the hill-tops pieces of limestone are 

 occasionally met with. 



My walk occupied eleven hours and although I every- 

 where saw traces of animals, the only living thing seen was 

 a grey falcon. During my absence from the tent the men 

 rambled all over the hills, but saw no game, our encamp- 

 ment was therefore shifted to a better position near the 

 eastern termination of the table-land. This morning we 

 explored the neighbouring valleys ; saw three deer, and 

 shot one, returning on board the ' Fox ' in time for dinner. 



Many deer had been seen not far from the ship, and 

 Hobson had shot a bearded seal. I have organised another 

 boat party ; Young will start with it to-morrow morning to 

 seek a sledge-route from the southern angle of Brentford 

 Bay to the western sea. 



5///. — Young returned this morning; he reports the south- 

 west angle of the bay not to run in so far as we expected, 

 and to be environed by very high land, impracticable for 

 sledges. 



Our Esquimaux, Samuel, shot a fawn to-day. 



Strong northerly winds have latterly prevailed ; Bellot 

 Strait is at last quite clear of ice ; to-morrow morning, there- 

 fore, we shall make our fifth attempt to get the ' Fox ' through. 



(yth. — Steamed through the clear waters of Bellot Strait 

 this morning, and made fast to the ice across its western out- 

 let at a distance of two miles from the shore, and close to a 

 small islet, which we have already dubbed Pemmican Rock, 

 having landed upon it a large supply of that substantial 

 traveller's fare, with other provisions for our future sledging- 

 parties. This ice is in large stout fields, of more than one 

 winter's growth, apparently immovable in consequence of 

 the numerous islets and rocks which rise through and hold 



