18 CKUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



water. Late in the evening two walruses were killed OH 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 it. 



