CAPTAIN m'cLURe's DESPATCHES. 15 



ice is sufficiently strong to bear their sledges, for the purpose of bartering 

 with the bordering tribe ; they then go to their winter houses some 

 distance inland, with the exception of a few families, who live the entire 

 year upon this bleak and inhospitable shore. 



September 2nd.— -Fine day, with light northerly wind, ran along the 

 pack edge, the ice being heavy and impenetrable, not a drop of water to 

 be seen from the mast-head among it ; the water between it and the 

 shore is practicable, although encumbered with much loose ice. Expe- 

 rienced a strong current from the south-east, which set us to the westward 

 of Uailley's Islands. Upon the morning of the 3rd the wind gradually 

 veered to the southward, bringing with it a very dense fog, and, being 

 at the time surrounded with heavy floe-pieces and close saihng ice, 

 through which it was necessary to pursue our course, so that every 

 advantage might be takeu of the favourable breeze, the vessel occasionally 

 came into violent collision. At noon it cleared a little, v/hen Trail Point 

 bore S.S.W. about seven miles; sounded in 6.5 fathoms (mud). The 

 nights having a few hours' darkness, blue lights and rockets are fired 

 for the purpose of attracting the attention of any parties that might be 

 returning from Wollaston or Victoria Lands bound to the Mackenzie. 



September 4th. —Light variable winds, with warm weather, the tem- 

 perature rising to 4 1 ° ; the water along shore free from ice ; about four 

 miles to the westward of the Horton, sounded in 83 fathoms, and shortly 

 after passed over a narrow shoal having but 1 3 fathoms ; a few pieces of 

 heavy ice were grounded upon it ; the land aj>pears to average from 80 

 to 100 feet in height, composed of blue clay, intermingled with sand. 

 Many whales have been about the ship— at one time eight, and from 

 one to four the greater part of the day. A bear, the first that has been 

 seen, was likewise remarked upon some loose ice in-shore, but time 

 would not allow of its being pursued. 



Se])tember 5. — The weather, which had been squally, accompanied 

 by a thick fog, during the early part of the day, cleared towards noon, 

 when a large volume of smoke was observed about 12 miles S.W., and 

 five to the eastward of the Horton, in the same spot that it had at- 

 tracted our attention yesterday. As divers opinions were in circulation 

 respecting its probable cause, and the ice-mate having positively 

 reported that from the Crow's-nest he could distinguish several persons 

 moving about, dressed in white shirts, and observed some white tents 

 in a hollow of the cliff, I certainly had every reason to imagine they 

 were a party of Europeans in distress, convinced that no traveller 

 would remain for so long a period as we had remarked the smoke in 

 one spot for their pleasure"; therefore, to satisfy myself, equally as 

 others, I determined to send a boat on shore, as it was now calm. The 

 first whaleboat, under Lieutenant Cresswell, with Dr. Armstrong, and 

 Mr. Miertsching, was despatched to examine into the cause, who on 

 their return reported the smoke to emanate iVom 15 small mounds, of 

 volcanic appearance, occui)yiug a sjjace of about 50 yards, the place 

 strongly impregnated with sul[)hur, the lower mounds being about 30 

 feet above the sea level, the highest about 50 feet. The land in its 

 vicmity w-as blue clay, much intersected with ravines and deep water- 

 coiuses-, varying in elevation from 300 to 500 feet ; the mark of a rein- 

 deer was traced to a small pond of water immediately above the 

 mounds ; a notice of our having landed was left, which would not long 

 remain, as the cliff is evidently rapidly crumbling away. Thus the 



