NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 51 



During my stay at Port Dundas (which is immediately under the 

 difFs forming Cape Warrender), I ordered a large cairn to be built on 

 a remarkable rocky peninsula at its entrance. This cairn is upwards 

 of 16 feet in heiglit, 20 feet in circumference, and painted red with a 

 white cross. Its position is such that a vessel sighting Cape Warren- 

 der must perceive it, and as nearly all the whalers every year sight this 

 cape, I conceived it to be an admirable position (should their lordships 

 desire to send any despatches to Sir Edward Belcher next year by the 

 whalers) for these despatches to be deposited. 



Erebus and Terror Bay being full of heavy hummocky ice, of great 

 thickness, impervious to the saw or the blasting cartridge, and too 

 rough and too much inundated with deep fresh-water pools to admit 

 the possibility of landing the stores on Beechey Island, or putting them 

 on board the North Star (a mile and a half distant), according to my 

 orders. 



I had, therefore, no choice but to place them in what I deemed the 

 most convenient and practicable position, and in my capacity as senior 

 officer at Beechey Island, determined on Cape Riley as the fittest spot, 

 and even more accessible than the island. 



Accordingly, on the following morning we commenced our work, and 

 having secured the transport in a bight of the land ice, immediately 

 abreast of the steep cliff, the people were now set to work, watch and 

 watch, night and day. To expedite the service, I ordered all hands to 

 be sent from the North Star, with their hammocks, and desiring them 

 to be victualled from our ship. The time was thus saved which would 

 have been lost by their going and returning to their vessel, upwards of 

 two and a half miles distant. 



The steamer lay with her fires banked up, and her hawsers in, ready, 

 at a moment's warning, to take the transport off-shore, in case of the 

 ice closing ; and now, everything being set forward systematicalh', and 

 130 tons of coal landed in the first thirty hours, I determined to pro- 

 ceed myself up Wellington Channel, by boat and sledge, in search of 

 Captain PuUen, who had been absent from the North Star a month ; 

 and, as his provisions must have been expended, there was some appre- 

 hension as to his safety. 



ft/ 



I had the double motive of desiring to convey to Sir Edward Belcher 

 his despatches, as it would only be by such means he could possibly 

 learn of my arrival until next season, unless he should return to Beechey 

 Island. 



I started in my whale-boat, with a month's provisions, at 9 a.m. on 

 the 10th of August, leaving written orders with the First Lieutenant, 

 a copy of which I enclose, marked "M 1," in case of any unforeseen 

 casualty preventhig my return to the ship by the time the transport 

 was cleared, to run no risk of the ships being caught for the winter, but 

 to proceed to England without me. 



Wellington Channel was then full of ice, and so rough with large 

 cracks and pools that it defied sledging, excepting with a strong party. 

 Landing, therefore, on Cornwalhs Island, a httle above Barlow Creek, 

 we made an attempt to carry a small punt over the ice ; but this proved 

 ineffectual, and I determined at last to proceed with Mr. Alston, mate 

 of the North Star, and two men, by land, to Cape Rescue. Each 

 carried a blanket bag, with a fortniglit's provisions, and reached, with 



