more favourable there for our advancement than 

 at the place we had left. It consisted of small 

 pieces closely packed together by the wind ex- 

 tending along the shore, but leaving a clear pas- 

 sage beyond the chain of islands with which the 

 ■whole of this coast is girt. Indeed, when we left 

 the harbour we had little hope of finding a pas- 

 sage ; and the principal object in m.oving was, to 

 employ the men, in order to prevent their reflect- 

 ing upon and discussing the dangers of our situa- 

 tion, which we knew they were too apt to do 

 when leisure permitted. Our observations place 

 the entrance of Detention Harbour in latitude 

 67^ 53' 45", longitude 110^ 41' 20" W., variation 

 40° 49' 34" E. It is a secure anchorage, being 

 sheltered from the wind in every direction ; the 

 bottom is sandy. 



Jw/y 28.— As the ice continued in the same 

 state, several of the men were sent out to hunt ; 

 and one of them fired no less than four times at 

 deer, but unfortunately without success. It was 

 satisfactory, however, to ascertain that the country 

 was not destitute of animals. We had the mor- 

 tification to discover that two of the bags of pem- 

 mican, which was our principal reliance, had be- 

 come mouldy by wet. Our beef too had been 

 so badly cured, as to be scarcely eatable, this 



