The Hudson's Bay Expedition. 29 



be landed — one at Cape Wolstenholme, and another at Nottingham 

 Island. The fourth party should be left either on the highest of the 

 Upper Savage Island group or on North Bluff; that is, in the vicinity 

 of North Bay. Another party should be landed in the vicinity 

 of Cape Hope on the mainland side, just opposite to the position 

 mentioned on North Bay. A couple of parties should also be left, 

 one on Resolution Island, and the other on the northernmost of the 

 Button Islands, so as, between them, to command one of the most 

 important positions in the Strait. With reference to the return of 

 the vessel to St. John's, running surveys should be made according 

 as the amount of open water and the quantity of coal remaining 

 would permit, and this should be continued until the vessel finally 

 returns to St. John's, leaving the parties in the Strait. The follow- 

 ing summer a similar vessel should be hired again and engaged to 

 pick up the parties landed. 



" I will now speak as to the duties of the parties landed. The 

 principal object of these stationery parties is that, from their com- 

 manding elevation, assisted by a good telescope, the daily condition 

 of the ice, as far as they could see, particularly at the close and 

 opening of navigation, the character of the ice, and the drift or set 

 of the ice, and so on, could be ascertained ; also the nature of the 

 currents, their velocity, etc. In addition to this a record of meteoro- 

 logical phenomena should be kept, the instructions in regard to 

 which might be obtained from one of the Dominion observatories 

 before starting." 



On the same day the examination of Dr. Bell was concluded, 

 when , in answer to the question : — 



" Supposing that the Canadian Government resolved to send a 

 steamer to Hudson's Bay for the purpose of increasing our know- 

 ledge of that region, what matters would you consider should be 

 attended to by the party in charge ? " he said : — 



" Well, there are so many things that could be done which would 

 be of great value that it is hard to say what would be the most 

 important. I will begin by speaking of the approximate surveys 

 which might be made, and which would certainly greatly improve 

 the charts now in existence and solve some of the problems already 



