NORTHERN OCEAN. 
163 
faw onthe ice. At the mouth of the river, the 1771. 
fea is full of iflands and fhoals, as far as I could ——~ 
fee with the affiftance of a good pocket telefcope. 
The ice was not then broke up, but was melted 
away for about three quarters of a mile from the 
main fhore, and to a little diftance round the 
iflands and fhoals. 
By the time I had completed this furvey, it was 
about one in the morning of the eighteenth ; but 
in thofe high latitudes, and at this feafon of the 
year, the Sun is always at a good height above 
the horizon, fo that we had-not only day-light, 
but fun-fhine the whole night: a thick fog and 
drizzling rain then came on, and finding that 
neither the river nor fea were likely to be of any 
ufe, I did not think it worth while to wait for fair 
weather to determine the latitude exaétly by an 
obfervation ; but by the extraordinary care | 
took in obferving the courfes and diftances when 
1 walked from Congecathawhachaga where I had 
two good obfervations, the latitude may be de- 
pended upon within twenty miles at the utmoft. 
For the fake of form however, after having had 
fome confultation with the Indians, I erected a 
mark, and took pofleflion of the coaft, on behalf 
of the Hudfon’s Bay Company. 
Having finifhed this bufinefs, we fet out on our 
return, and walked about twelve miles to the 
South by Eaft, when we ftopped and took a little 
fleep, which was the firft time that any of us had 
clofed our eyes from the fifteenth inftant, and it 
M 2 was 
July. 
18th. 
