404 MCKAY, ETC. DESPATCHED 



far away to the north ; but one and all must 

 have been under some optical illusion, for in a 

 quarter of an hour (such is the uncertainty of 

 all human calculations) we were entangled in 

 drift ice, which but too evidently was the ad- 

 vanced guard of the main body. Several at- 

 tempts were made to land, but were rendered 

 abortive by the shoalness of the water ; and it 

 was not until 2 h 30 ra a. m. that, after working 

 with much trouble and no little risk to the boat 

 between the thick drifting ice, we at length suc- 

 ceeded. The boat was then unloaded, and 

 hauled up above high-water mark. 



The weather was at this time calm, but gloomy 

 and unsettled; and heavy rain soon followed. 

 Having refreshed the men with a glass of grog, 

 I appointed M c Kay, Sinclair, and Taylor, who 

 were the best walkers, to proceed on foot along 

 the coast as far as they could, leaving it to their 

 discretion whether to absent themselves for a 

 longer time than twenty-four hours, according to 

 the probability that might exist of our getting 

 forward. Besides noticing the state of the ice, 

 they were desired to examine carefully the nature 

 and trending of the western land, on their report 

 of which depended the execution of a plan 

 which had been for some time in contemplation, 

 as a last resource in the event of our progress 

 being shortly arrested. 



