386 DR. HAYES' TERRIBLE BOAT TRIP 



of the water for more than twenty, yet what we saw assured us that a prob- 

 ably impenetrable pack lay in our way. To the southwest, towards the Carey 

 Islands, whose tops were dimly visible, the sky indicated open water, which 

 seemed to run in toward Saunders Island, whose long, flat, white roof, sup- 

 ported by a dark vertical wall, appeared above the horizon to the south. 

 Under Cape Parry was a large open area, from which diverged several nar- 

 row leads, like the fingers of an outspread hand, toward Northumberland. 

 One of these leads came up within four or five miles of our camp ; but inside 

 of it all was tightly closed. Below Cape Parry several small leads appeared, 

 and much open water seemed to lie along the land. 



''Although this pack was in fact the same that had baffled Dr. Kane in 

 July and August, yet its existence here surprised me as it had him. It had 

 never been noted before. Our track had been traversed by Baffin and Bylot 

 in August, 1616; by Sir John Ross, between August 7th and 30th, 18 18; 

 by Capt. Inglefield, August 28th, 1852; and by Dr. Kane, in the Advance, 

 August 7th, 1853; and by none of them had any considerable quantity of ice. 

 been seen north of Melville Bay. I was not prepared for such a rebuff at this 

 part of our voyage. 



"Could we pass it? would it open? was there any hope for us? I confess 

 that, as these questions came in succession to my mind, I could only meet 

 them by gloomy doubting. The ice was more firm and secure than we had 

 anticipated finding, even in Melville Bay. All of our bright dreams of succor 

 and safety seemed to be ending. 



"I was still not wholly without hope. There were yet twenty days of Sep- 

 tember; and, although signs of winter had been about us ever since we left 

 the brig, yet it was now much warmer here than at Rensselaer Harbor a 

 month earlier. Altogether, September promised more of summer than of 

 winter, 



"It was with mingled feelings of hope and discouragement that I started 

 to return." 



The party, however, when the issue was put to a vote, determined on an 

 advance. One man made a speech. Says Dr. Hayes : 



"I give it as nearly as I can remember it : 'The ice can't remain long, — 

 I'll bet it opens to-morrow. The winter is a long way off yet. If we have 

 such luck as we have had since leaving Cape Alexander, we'll be in Uper- 

 navik in a couple of weeks. You say it is not more than six hundred miles 

 there in a straight line. We have food for that time, and fuel for a week. 



