282 DISCOVERIES OF 1742. 



On the 15th, a lieutenant with nine men well 

 armed were sent in a boat to examine the river ; 

 they returned on the 17th, having gone as far up 

 as the ice would permit and until they found it to 

 extend from side to side. The ships therefore fell 

 clown the river on the 21st, when, from a high hill 

 a few miles above the entrance, it was perceived 

 that the Welcome was still full of ice from side to 

 side. In one of the excursions up the river it 

 was reported that many black whales and other 

 fish had been observed, whereas none had made 

 their appearance where the ships were anchored, 

 nor below them. This circumstance afforded a 

 hope that there might be some other openin^g into 

 the Welcome than that by which they had entered. 

 The Lieutenant and the Master were accordingly 

 again sent up with directions to examine all the 

 coves on the northern shore of the Wager. After 

 four days absence they returned on the 1st August. 

 They reported that they had seen a great many 

 black whales of the whalebone kind; that they 

 had tried every opening they saw ; and that they 

 constantly found the tide of flood coming from 

 the eastward or in at the mouth of the Wager. 

 This put an end to all expectations of finding any 

 outlet from the Wager besides that through which 

 they had entered it. 



On the 4th of August the ships departed out of 

 the river. In latitude 65^ 38', longitude 87° 7' W., 

 they entered another opening h ing north-west of 



