CAPTAIN m'CLURk's DESPATCHES. 5 



people, very poor, very filthy, and, to us, looked exceedingly wretched. 

 The time of our return was repeatedly inquired for })y them. Thev 

 would have a quantity of skins ; they were anxious for us to Avait a 

 little, that they might send off a supply of reindeer ; but, the boat 

 returning, and the wind fair, I made them a few presents, and gave 

 them a letter to be forwarded to the Russian Fur Companv, and made 

 sail to the eastward. The wind being light as we ran close along shore, 

 in from four to six fathoms, we had a great many visitors ; many of 

 them had been their whole lives between the Coppermine and Point 

 Barrow. These could give no information of the missing expedition. 

 I am certain that had any of them reached these shores we must have 

 heard of it. The coast is inhabited throughout, and the natives are, 

 to all appearance, a kind and merry race, and when we gave them 

 presents, through the medium of the interpreter, we told them that 

 we were looking for our lost brothers, and if they saw any white men 

 in distress they vievc to be very kind ; to which they assented, by 

 saying they would, and give them plenty of "deer's flesh." While 

 running along the land, which is exceedingly low, observed upon Point 

 Pitt two conical mounds ; thinking they might have some communica- 

 tion buried beneath, ran in to examine them. While in stays the 

 vessel took the ground, but was hove off almost immediately without 

 any damage, the bottom being soft clay. The boat sent to examine 

 the mounds reported them old Esquimaux caches, where they deposit 

 their venison. They left a bottle, containing a notice of our passing. 



Upon rounding Cape Halkett on the morning of the {)th, found the 

 ice was set close to the shore, which rendered it a passage of much 

 anxiety, great labour, and imminent risk, as the wind was strong from 

 E.S.E., with thick fog, and the ice closing around us fast, so that we 

 had barely space to work in, tacking frequently in five, and never 

 beyond ten minutes, standing upon one tack, into three-and-a-half 

 fathoms, and upon the other to four-and-a-half and six fathoms ; this 

 operation was continued the greater part of the middle and all the 

 morning watch. At 9 a.m. the weather cleared a little, and open 

 water was observed in Smith's Bay ; our soundings gradually in- 

 creased ; the reaches became longer as we rounded the cape, and all 

 apprehension of being forced on shore was over. 



August 10. — In crossing Harrison's Bay found the influence of the 

 Colville to extend 12 or 14 miles, the surface of the water beino- 

 of a dirty mud colour, and scarcely salt. The weather, thick and 

 foggy, prevented any land being seen. The soundings were very reo-ular 

 on one tack ; the ice allowed of our standing off to eight fathoms ; 

 and on the other, the land to three-and-a-half fathoms, black mud. 



August 1 1 . — In the morning the weather cleared a little, and dis- 

 covered to us Jones's Island. An erect piece of wood on the shore 

 attracted the attention of the officer of the watch ; a boat was sent to 

 examine it, when it appeared to be a piece of drift wood, which had 

 been squeezed up by the ice. The shore was strewed with it, and 

 one spar was as large as our mainmast, and 45 feet in length. We 

 erected a cairn and left a notice. In the forenoon about thirty natives 

 came off in two baidars ; from whom we obtained some fish and ducks, 

 in exchange for a little tobacco. They had been about two months 

 on the coast, and trade with the Russian Fur Company. Their sur- 

 prise, of course, was very great, particularly at the size of our hand- 



