TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. ” 235 
ed that there is plenty of water for us even within a 
cable’s length of the shore. 
We found on the ice, close to where they were 
cutting the canal to-day, a dead swan (Anas Cygnus, 
Lin.), which is the first and only bird of the kind 
that we have seen in these regions. It was in a very 
perfect state, and must necessarily have lain here 
but a short time, for there was no ice on the place 
less than three weeks ago, when we passed in going 
to the westward. 
Saturday, 25th. — All hands were again employed 
to-day cutting the canal through the ice, and instead 
of hauling the pieces which they cut out, into the open 
sea, as they did yesterday, they forced them under 
the floe, which was found to be a much more expe- 
ditious way of getting rid of them, than floating 
them out of the canal. But in speaking of an open 
sea, I must observe, that according to the strict 
meaning of the word, there is no such thing now 
existing within our view: the place where the ships 
lay yesterday morning, and, indeed, the whole of the 
sheet of clear water that stretched outside of them, 
are now covered with ice of last night’s formation ; 
and that on the canal was so strong this evening as 
to bear the weight of a person. In consideration of 
the hard labour that the men have had for these two 
days past, an extra-allowance of Donkin’s preserved 
meat has been served out to them each day. 
Sunday, 26th. — From seeing the rapid increase 
in the thickness of the ice, and consequently the 
additional labour that must be incurred by any de- 
lay, it has been deemed proper to employ all hands 
again to-day, in cutting the canal, in which work 
K 4 
