114 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. July 



CHAPTER IV. 



LEAVE FLOEBERG BEACH — NAVIGATION OF ROBESON CHANNEL — ITS 



EXTREME DIFFICULTY CAPE UNION — STOPPED AT CAPE BEECHEY 



ESKIMO REMAINS — BRENT GEESE — REJOIN THE 'DISCOVERY' 



KILLING A MUSK-OX RETURN OF BEAUMONT'S PARTY. 



The gale which was experienced at Floeberg Beach on 

 the 31st of July, and which released the ; Alert ' from 

 her exposed position on the shore of the Polar Sea, was 

 merely felt at the sheltered position of Discovery Bay 

 as a light air from the southward. It is worthy of 

 note that at the same time, near the head of Baffin's 

 Bay, Sir Allen Young in the ' Pandora ' experienced a 

 very severe storm from the southward, evidently part 

 of the same disturbance as that which reached Floeberg 

 Beach. 



As the ' Alert ' cleared the barrier of grounded ice, 

 which had proved so excellent a protection to her 

 during the past eleven months, the Polar pack was 

 found to have drifted to a distance of a quarter of a 

 mile from the land, leaving a broad water-passage which 

 continued until Eobeson Channel was entered. Prom 

 that point the water-way gradually narrowed, until, at 

 a position about four miles north of Cape Union, the 

 pack pressed tightly against the shore, and formed an 

 effectual barrier to our farther progress. 



