56 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 
The wind increased during the night, and blew a gale all 
next day, strong and almost continuous gusts from the high hills 
sweeping the crests from the waves and rendering a landing 
impossible. The wind fell away towards morning. On the 17th 
a landing was made on the point, the flag was hoisted and a 
copy of the Proclamation and of the Customs regulations was 
left in the boiler. Close alongside lay the wreck of the launch, 
destroyed by the ice, only the keel, some of the timbers and 
lower planking remaining. Signs of the Whalers and of natives 
were plentiful on the point, where the circles of stones and fire- 
places marked the tents of the former, and other fireplaces 
showed where the Whalers had been ' trying-out ' Whale 
blubber. A curious sled-runner of teak was picked up on the 
beach. It was about six feet long and full of holes bored for 
lashing on the shoeing, which was of walrus ivory, and further 
secured to the runner by wooden pegs. The wood was either 
from the wreck of the launch, or more likely from that of the 
Fury, lost early in last century, some miles to the southward of 
Port Leopold, on the western side of Prince Regent inlet. The 
evidence of great age in the runner points to the latter origin. 
Port Leopold was left shortly before noon, and we were soon 
tossing in the head sea caused by the past gale. The wind 
changed to eastward, and within an hour of leaving the 
harbour we were again inclosed in a thick fog, which rendered 
a return impossible. The fog lasted until the next evening. 
During the interval we steamed cautiously across the mouth of 
Prince Regent, Admiralty and Navy Board inlets, and with 
clearing weather found ourselves outside the Wollaston islands 
that lie a few miles from the northwest corner of Bylot island. 
A parting between the lower and upper fog gave a beautiful 
ribbon-like picture of the rough snow-covered coast and peaks 
of Bylot island flooded with bright sunshine, in marked contrast 
to the gloomy, foggy weather about the ship. 
