TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 63 
bably out of Lanecaster’s Sound; for this place is si- 
tuated to the southward and eastward of it. It was 
just low water at the time we landed, and during the 
three hours we were ashore, it rose between three 
and four feet; but from the distance up the beach 
that the bones of whales, sea-weed, and other things 
that must have been washed up by the sea, were found, 
it would appear that the tide rises considerably 
higher than what might be expected from the result 
of our observation on it to-day. I ought to observe, 
however, that in all probability, a very heavy sea sets 
into this bay occasionally, for when we landed, al. 
though the wind was very moderate, there was a very 
considerable surf breaking on the beach; so that 
when it blows hard from the eastward, it may be pre- 
sumed that the sea runs so high as to have washed 
the bones above-mentioned up to the place where 
they were lying; that is, some distance beyond the 
regular tide-mark. The water deepens very suddenly 
in this bay, for we sounded as we were coming 
ashore, and found fourteen fathoms within a cable’s 
length of the beach. Even closer than that its 
depth must be considerable ; for just as we were 
landing, two whales were observed so near the 
shore, that I expected at one time that they would 
run themselves aground. Whilst we were ashore 
they tried for soundings on board, with a line of two 
hundred and ninety fathoms, and found no bottom ; 
but on recollection, I ought not to mention this as 
a remarkable circumstance, as they sounded in a 
thousand fathoms last year, in the Isabella, in the 
very same place, or at least pretty near it. As the staff 
planted at that time on the hill, already mentioned, is 
