AN EXPLORING PARTY. 143 



create in the officers' cabins through which it 

 passed, and the doubt of our being able to put it 

 together again, was accordingly directed to be 

 done. In the mean time the temperature had 

 fallen to 22°—, throwing the lower deck into a 

 most uncomfortable state, and yet not so bad 

 as the after cabins, which were dripping with 

 moisture. Much to the credit of the officers 

 no complaints were heard, nor was the health of 

 any one affected. Moreover, under every dis- 

 advantage, the deck was kept perfectly dry. 



November 4th. I accompanied a party of 

 officers to the land for the purpose of satisfying our 

 curiosity respecting an opening about three miles 

 from the ship, which had the appearance of a 

 harbour. The result in some measure verified 

 our conjecture, for we walked upwards of a mile 

 from the entrance to the further end, where, 

 providing the holding ground were good, any 

 vessel would be securely sheltered. From a 

 bold perpendicular rock, one of the many by 

 which it is girt in, the echo was so clear, that 

 an unhappy wanderer in these dreary solitudes 

 might have listened to his own voice, and fan- 

 cied himself no longer alone. We attempted to 

 ascend a sloping side to gain the heights above ; 

 but all except myself being unprovided with 

 snow-shoes, sunk so deep in the snow that the 

 effort was found too laborious, and was therefore 

 abandoned for another opportunity. In this 



