208 Thirty Years 



the harbor, and carried the canoes and cargoes about 

 a mile and a half across the point of land that forms 

 the east side of it ; but the ice was not more favor- 

 able there for our advancement than at the place we 

 had left. It consisted of small pieces closely packed 

 together by the wind extending along the shore, but 

 leaving a clear passage beyond the chain of islands 

 with which the whole of this coast is girt. Indeed, 

 when w r e started we had little hope of finding a pas- 

 sage ; and the principal object in moving was, to em- 

 ploy the men, in order to prevent their reflecting upon 

 and discussing the dangers of our situation, which we 

 knew they were too apt to do when leisure permitted. 

 Our observations place the entrance of Detention 

 Harbor in latitude 67° 53' 45", longitude 110° 41' 

 20" W., variation 40° 49' 34" E. It is a secure 

 anchorage, being sheltered from the wind in every di- 

 rection : the bottom is sandy. 



July 28. — As the ice continued in the same state, 

 several of the men were sent out to hunt ; and one of 

 them fired no less than four times at deer, but un- 

 fortunately without success. It was satisfactory, 

 however, to ascertain that the country was no1 desti- 

 tute of animals. We bad the mortification to dis- 

 cover that two of the bags of pemmican, which was 

 our principal reliance, bad become mouldy by wet. 



Our beef, tfO, bad been BO badly cured, as to be 



