52 NORTH-WEST PASSAGE* 



much exertion, the Cape, at 5 p.m. of the 13th of August. A piece of 

 open water off Helen Haven, prevented our proceeding farther ; and here 

 we learnt bv notice, of Captain Fallen's return to his ship, and his 

 having communicated with Sir Edward Belcher. 



Depositing in the cairn duplicates of their lordships' dispatches for 

 that officer, we commenced our return ; and reached the tent on the fifth 

 day of our absence, footsore and much exhausted with this new mode of 

 journeying in the Arctic regions, having travelled 120 miles; sleeping 

 without shelter on the bare beach, at a temperature several degrees 

 below freezing point, was a trial for all, more especially as we could not 

 eat the pemmican, and subsisted wholly on biscuit and tea, with the 

 exception of a few dovekies which I shot. 



Up till the 12th of August, Wellington Channel was blocked with ice 

 as far as the eye could reach. The plan marked " O 1 " shows its 

 position at this date, and the alteration I have made in the coast line of 

 the western shore. 



I returned to the ship on the afternoon of the 15th of August, and 

 found that wind and changes in the ice had obliged the first lieutenant 

 to move the transport away from Cape Riley, and that the process of 

 unlading had been carried on but slowly by means of sledges ; ^56 

 packages had, however, been transported to the North Star by these 

 means 



On the 17th of August, a heavy gale from the south-east set the ice 

 on to the Cape so suddenly and with such violence that both ships 

 narrowly escaped being lost. The Phoenix was severely nipped, the ice 

 bearing down upon her with such force that the six hausers and two 

 cables laid out were snapped like packthread, and the ship forced 

 against the land ice, hfting her stern five feet, and causing every timber 

 to groan. The hands were turned up, to be ready in case the ship 

 should break up ; though there would have been small chance, in such 

 an event, of saving a man, as the wind blew so violently, with snow, 

 that it was impossible to face it, and the ice in motion around the ship 

 w^as boiling up in a manner that would have defied getting a safe footing 

 to the most active of our crew. 



Having once more got her alongside the derrick, we commenced to 

 clear with all hands, as I intended to finish the work without cessation, 

 if we laboured all night. 



While thus employed, I received by an ofiicial letter from Captain 

 Pullen (a copy of which I enclose, marked "L 1,"), a report of the 

 melancholy intelligence of the death of M. Bellot, who had been sent 

 by Captain Pullen on his return during my absence, to acquaint me of 

 the same, and to carry on the original despatches to Sir Edward Belcher. 

 This unfortunate occurrence took place on the night of the gale, when 

 M. Bellot with two men were driven off from the shore on a floe ; and 

 shortly after, while reconnoitering from the top of a liummock, he was 

 blown off by a violent gust of wind into a deep crack in the ice, and 

 perished by drowning. The two men were saved by a comparative 

 miracle, and, after dvivino; about for thirtv hours without food, were 

 enabled to land and rejoin their fellow-travellers, who gave them pro- 

 visions ; and then all returned to the ship, bringing back in safety the 

 despatches, but three of them fit subjects only for invaliding. 



A separate letter will give their lordships' further information relative 



