Chap. XII. BACK'S JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA. 479 



broken into falls, cascades, and rapids, to the number of no 

 less than eighty-three in the whole, pours its waters into 

 the Polar Sea in latitude 67° 11' 00" N., and longitude 

 94° 30' 0'' W. ; that is to say, about thirty-seven miles more 

 south than the mouth of the Copper Mine River, and nine- 

 teen miles more south than that of Back's River, at the 

 lower extremity of Bathurst's Inlet." — p. 390. 



" Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof:" but, with 

 the appalling reflection of having to return up, and 

 in opposition to, no less than eighty-three falls, cas- 

 cades, and rapids, instead of dashing down them as 

 hitherto, it required no moderate share of firmness 

 and resolution to persevere in the attempt to renew 

 the same route, at so advanced a period as the month 

 of August. A bluff point on the eastern side of the 

 estuary, which he called Cape Hay, he considered to 

 be the northern extreme, but Dease and Simpson 

 subsequently discovered a considerable length of 

 coast beyond it. For ten days the weather continued 

 chilly, wet, and foggy, and the estuary was so blocked 

 up with ice as to prevent any northern progress be- 

 ing made. The shores of this desolate region pro- 

 duced nothing but reindeer-moss and a species of 

 fern, both so soaked with wet that they would not 

 burn, and therefore the party had no means of cook- 

 ing anything — not even to boil a little water for tea. 

 For a whole week they had but one hot meal. 



In this cheerless and miserable condition, sur- 

 rounded on every side by prospects of ice, snow, 

 and complete desolation, without fire or the means 



