408 CAPE HAY. 



bluff, laid down as Hutton Browne Bluff, and 

 a huge projecting cape, distinguished by the 

 name of Cape Hay, after the late Under-Secre- 

 tary for the Colonies, a zealous promoter of 

 the expedition, and of geographical researches 

 generally. This was the northern extreme of 

 the eastern coast, which in so far coincided 

 exactly with the outline given by the Esqui- 

 maux ; but here we lost all trace of land in 

 that direction, though from our subsequent po- 

 sition it must have been discovered, had it not 

 from thence rounded suddenly off, as I believe 

 it does, to the southward and eastward. Near 

 8 p. m., after a delightful sail, we overtook our 

 enemy the drift ice ; and getting hampered 

 amongst it, in the attempt to find a passage 

 round a low island a mile or two ahead, the 

 northern extremity of which shut out the view of 

 any other land in that direction, we were com- 

 pelled to make for the shore, which, after consi- 

 derable trouble and some risk of being " nipped," 

 we succeeded in reaching. On landing, I di- 

 rected my steps to a hillock of sand ten feet high, 

 about two and a half miles from the beach, and 

 in going was forcibly struck with the desert-like 

 character of the place. It was one irregular plain 

 of sand and stones; and had it not been for a rill 

 of water, the meandering of which relieved the 

 monotony of the sterile scene, one might have 



