328 DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY. 



Bay or the Polar Sea — I had no alternative but 

 to make for the S. E. We were at this time 

 little more than a degree to the southward of 

 the confluence of Back's River with Bathurst's 

 Inlet ; but all hope that this river would prove 

 identical with the Thlew-ee-choh, or that the 

 latter would trend to the westward, was utterly 

 extinguished. Our proximity to the coast, how- 

 ever, explained the cold and dreary weather 

 which had lately incommoded us. 



A fresh and fair wind now relieved the men 

 from the labour of the oars, and we ran under the 

 foresail (a lug) until 8 p.m.; when, being stopped 

 by a ridge of ice reaching from shore to shore, 

 directly athwart our course, we hauled into a 

 deep bay, and secured the boat in snug shelter 

 under the lee of the weather land. The temper- 

 ature had scarcely varied from 42°, and there 

 was a chilliness in the wind which blew from the 

 coast that made cloaks and blankets very accept- 

 able. Towards the close of the day's journey 

 the country assumed a more mountainous and 

 imposing appearance, but continued rugged and 

 desolate. Many parts bore a close resemblance 

 to the lava round Vesuvius, the intermediate 

 spaces being filled up with green patches of 

 meadow, which literally swarmed with deer, 

 not fewer than twelve or fifteen hundred having 

 been seen within the last twelve hours. 



14th of July. — During the night, the wind 



