122 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
tends to indicate the approach of winter} at night, in 
particular, when the sun goes down, it is inplousibil to 
avoid reflecting on the nearness of that period which 
will inevitably arrest our progress for this season. It 
is possible, indeed, and I hope probable too, that if 
we once got through the ice with which we have of 
late been hampered, we may get on a few degrees 
yet before the winter sets in; but certainly the 
advanced period of the season, and our experience 
of these seas, does not encourage us to be too sanguine 
of doing much more this year. 
Sunday y, 12th. — A good deal of anxiety prevailed 
to-day for the safety of a party of six men and an 
officer (the master) belonging to the Griper, who 
went away about four o’clock on Friday morning, 
with a view of travelling fifteen or twenty miles in- 
land, for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of 
the country, and to see whether reindeer, or musk- 
oxen were more numerous towards the interior than 
along the sea-coast. It was desirable also to know 
how far this land extended to the northward; but, 
as it was not meant that they should be away more 
than a day, they took only provisions enough with 
them to last for that period. They have now, however, 
been away upwards of double their limit, which be- 
gins to cause some uneasiness respecting them, 
more especially as the weather since yesterday 
afternoon, has been very unfavourable, being hazy, 
and snowing almost constantly during the whole 
time. In order to direct them, poles, with flags on 
them, have been set up on the top of the highest hills 
in the neighbourhood to-day, and to each of these 
poles a bottle was fastened, containing directions how 
