28o HOPE OF ESCAPE. Chap. XVII. 



had a N.E. gale, accompanied by rain and a considerable 

 fall of the barometer, a few days ago ; and as it blew freshly 

 from the westward this morning, I went to a hill-top, and 

 saw that much ice had been broken up in Brentford Bay, 

 and that there were streaks of water along the land between 

 Possession Point and Hazard Inlet ; this water, however, 

 was not accessible to us. 



The ice about Pemmican Rock was much in the same 

 position as we found it last year, but Bellot Strait was 

 perfectly clear. All the ice in this harbour, in Depot Bay, 

 and Hazard Inlet, is gone, by far the greater part having 

 decayed, not drifted away. 



Later in the day, and from loftier hill-tops, a good deal of 

 water was seen off Cape Garry, and a water-sky beyond. 

 It now blows very strongly from the S.W., the most de- 

 sirable quarter ; and as the anxious desire to escape has 

 become oppressive, it is not to be wondered at that now 

 our hopes have become extravagant. We may even make 

 a start to-morrow ! On the other hand, a careful examina- 

 tion of our provision store shows that, should we be obliged 

 to spend another winter here, we must curtail our allowance 

 of meat — fresh and salt — to three-quarters of a pound, and 

 have to use but very indifferent lemon-juice. The spirits, 

 I rejoice to say, will very shortly be entirely expended. 



On the morning of the 3rd instant, when the rain ceased 

 and a N.E. gale sprang up, two claps of thunder were dis- 

 tinctly heard ; this occurs but very rarely in these latitudes. 

 There is ample occupation for the men, but not much for 

 the officers ; as for myself, I write a great deal, and work 

 occasionally at our chart of discoveries ; the only refresh- 

 ment I indulge in is an occasinal dive into packets of old 

 letters. All yesterday the harbour was full of ice, driven in 

 by southerly and westerly winds, and so closely packed that 

 one might have walked over it to the shore ; to-day it has 



