S41 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



about to retire to the main shore from their as- 

 sembling at this time in such numbers on the 

 islands nearest to the coast. Those we saw were 

 generally females with their young, and all of 

 them very lean. 



The wind continued in the same direction 

 until we had rounded Point WoIIaston, and then 

 changed to a quarter, which enabled us to steer 

 for Hood's River, which we ascended as high as 

 the first rapid and encamped. Here terminated 

 our voyage on the Arctic Sea, during which we 

 had gone over six hundred and fifty geographical 

 miles. Our Canadian voyagers could not re- 

 strain their expressions of joy at having turned 

 their backs on the sea, and they passed the 

 evening talking over their past adventures with 

 much humour and no little exaggeration. The 

 consideration that the most painful, and certainly 

 the most hazardous, part of the journey was yet 

 to come, did not depress their spirits at all. It is 

 due to their character to mention that they dis- 

 played much courage in encountering the dangers 

 of the sea, magnified to them by their novelty. 



The shores between Cape Barrow and Cape 

 Flmders, including the extensive branches of 

 Arctic and Melville Sounds, and Bathurst's Inlet, 

 may be comprehended in one great gulf, which I 

 have distinguished by the appellation of George 



