2(50 VOYAGE TO THE 



the meridian of Icy Cape^ was twenty-four miles to the 

 southward of its position the preceding year, and that 

 it was on the whole much nearer the continent of 

 America. With the ice thus pressing upon the Ame- 

 rican coast, and with the prevalence of westerly winds, 

 by which this season was distinguished, there would 

 have been very little prospect of a vessel bent upon 

 effecting the passage succeeding even in reaching 

 Point Barrow. 



The wind continuing to blow from the S.W., with 

 thick weather and showers of snow, we endeavoured 

 to get an offing, and at ten o'clock tacked a mile off" 

 the land near Icy Cape. In the afternoon we stood 

 again to the southward, and the next day fetched into 

 the bay near Cape Beaufort, and at night hove to oft' 

 Cape Lisburn with thick and cold weather. The next 

 morning, being moderate, afforded us the only oppor- 

 tunity we had hitherto had of depositing some inform- 

 ation for Captain Franklin's party. The l)oat landed 

 near the Cape, and buried one bottle for him and ano- 

 ther for Lieutenant Belcher, whom we had not seen 

 since we parted at Chamisso Island. In the evening 

 we stretched toward Point Hope, for the purpose of 

 depositing a bottle there also, as it was a point which 

 could not escape Captain Franklin s observation in his 

 route along shore ; but the wind increasing from the 

 westward occasioned a heavy surf upon the beach, and 

 obliged the ship to keep in the offing. 



Seeing that we could not remain sufficiently close in 

 shore to be of use to our friends during the westerly 

 winds and thick weather, I determined upon the exa- 

 mination of the inlet discovered by Mr. Elson to the 

 eastward of Cape Prince of Wales, and made sail for 

 Kotzebue Sound, for the purpose of leaving there the 



