POINT OGLE. 409 



fancied one's self in one of the parched plains of 

 the East, rather than on the shores of the Arctic 

 Sea. From this hillock, I discerned a deep bay, 

 bearing south-west, of which the sandy point of 

 our encampment (called after Vice- Admiral Sir 

 Charles Ogle) formed the eastern extremity ; 

 while the opposite side terminated in another 

 point bearing W. N. W. The land which encircled 

 the bay was blue and high, and apparently much 

 encumbered with ice, which stretched from side 

 to side, and again northerly as far as the horizon. 

 Still, however, there was a ray of hope, for nar- 

 row streaks of open water chequered the surface, 

 like evening shadows on a bright lake. 



Rain fell incessantly in the night, and the 

 morning disclosed a dense wet fog, together with 

 the unwelcome sight of closely packed ice against 

 the shore. A little after noon there was a storm, 

 with thunder and lightning ; the first I remember 

 to have seen so far north. The steersmen were 

 twice sent to examine the state of the ice as far 

 as Point Ogle (which was now found to be an 

 island or part of the main, according as it was 

 high or low water, being connected at the ebb 

 by a narrow ridge of sand and stones) ; for the 

 wind, having towards evening veered to the north- 

 ward, threatened to carry the outside drift ice 

 into both openings, and thereby effectually pre- 

 vent our moving an inch. To obviate this, it was 

 my intention to have poled through the inshore 



