378 



VOYAGE TO THE 



CHAP. 

 XI. 



August, 

 1826. 



how I could most beneficially employ both vessels, 

 and, at the same time, comply with the spirit of my 

 instructions. Thus circumstanced, I determined to 

 get hold of the barge as soon as possible, and to 

 despatch her along the coast, both with a view of 

 rendering Captain Franklin's party the earliest pos- 

 sible assistance, and of ascertaining how far it was 

 possible for a boat to go. Not a moment was to be 

 lost in putting this project in execution, as the 

 middle of August was arrived, and we could not 

 calculate on a continuance of the fine weather with 

 which we had hitherto been favoured. We accord- 

 ingly returned towards Icy Cape, in order to join 

 the barge which was surveying in that direction. 



We passed along the land in about eight fathoms 

 water until near Icy Cape, when we came rather 

 suddenly into three fathoms and three quarters, but 

 immediately deepened the soundings again to seven : 

 the next cast, however, was four fathoms ; and not 

 knowing how soon we might have less, the ship was 

 immediately brought to an anchor. Upon examina- 

 tion with the boats, several successive banks were 

 found at about three quarters of a mile apart, lying 

 parallel with the coast line. Upon the outer ones, 

 there were only three and a half or four fathoms, 

 and upon the inner bank, which had hitherto escaped 

 notice from being under the sun, so little water that 

 the sea broke constantly over it. Between tiie 

 shoals there were nine and ten fathoms, with very 

 irregular casts. These shoals lie immediately off 

 Icy Cape where the land takes an abrupt turn to 

 the eastward, and are probably the effect of a large 

 river, which here empties itself into the sea ; though 

 they may be occasioned by heavy ice grounding off 



