PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 363 



could reach. As this point had never been placed 

 in our charts, I named it Point Hope, in compli- 

 ment to Sir William Johnstone Hope. ^826*' 



Having buried a bottle for Captain Franklin 

 upon the eminence, we took leave of our friends, 

 and made sail towards the ship, which, in conse- 

 quence of a current, was far to leeward, although 

 she had been beating the whole day with every sail 

 set. We continued to press the ship during the 

 night, in order to maintain our position, that the 

 barge might join ; but the current ran so strong, 

 that the next morning, finding we lost rather than 

 gained ground, I bore away to trace the extent 

 of the low point discovered from Cape Thom- 

 son. On nearing it, we perceived a forest of stakes 

 driven into the ground for the purpose of keep- 

 ing the property of the natives off the ground ; and 

 beneath them several round hillocks, which we af- 

 terwards found to be the Esquimaux yourts, or un- 

 derground winter habitations. The wind fell very 

 light off this point, and I went in the gig to pay 

 a visit to the village, leaving directions to anchor 

 the ship in case the wind continued light. After 

 rowing a considerable time, we found a current run- 

 ning so strong that we did not make any progress, 

 and it was as much as we could do to get back to the 

 ship, which had in the mean time been anchored with 

 the bower, having previously parted from the kedge. 



The current was now running W. by N. at the 

 rate of three miles an hour. About five o'clock the 

 next morning, however, it slackened to a mile and a 

 half, and the boats were sent to creep for the kedge 

 anchor, but it could not be found. A thick fog af- 

 terwards came on, which kept us at anchor until 



