18 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 
water. Late in the evening two walruses were killed on ice 
pans close to the ship. 
A return to the southward was made at daylight, and the 
ice was finally left after passing Leyson point. During the 
passage through the ice, in the early morning, hundreds of 
walrus were seen asleep on the floating pans, and were left 
undisturbed. Skirting the low shores of the so-called Bell 
island, Evans strait was entered, and, late in the afternoon, we 
passed close to Walrus island in Fisher strait. This island is 
composed of crystalline rocks, and although not very high, it is 
conspicuous in contrast to the low shores on both sides of the 
strait. The island is much smaller than shown on the chart, 
and is only one island, not two, as marked there. 
While passing through Evans and Fisher straits, soundings 
were taken every five miles. The bottom was found to be very 
even, and covered with fine sand or limestone debris. During 
the day the low shores of Southampton were in sight, without 
any feature sufficiently marked to afford a triangulation point. 
The absence of 'ice in any part of Fisher strait led to the 
belief that no channel existed between Bell island and south- 
ampton. This has since been confirmed by the captains of the 
era and Active, both having narrowly escaped trouble in trying 
to pass through this supposed channel, which, if it does exist, 
is very shallow and narrow, even at high tide, and is so 
obstructed with shoals as to be absolutely dangerous. 
During the night of the 15th we passed the western entrance 
of Fisher strait, and turned northward, up the west coast of 
Southampton. Frequent soundings, taken as the ship passed 
over, or very close to, the position of Tom island on the chart, 
gave no indications of it. 
This island was placed on the chart, on the authority of 
Captain Lyon, but nobody has since seen   
