40 SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



18 already caught more" than a large bucket full. Tiiey proved most excellent 

 ^^Jg;^- eating and, althougli we were not badly off for fresh provision, were con- 

 sidcMcd by us a very agreeable variety. Every possible care was taken in 

 observing the time and direction of the tides in this place, that phenomenon 

 liaving now assumed a more than ordinary interest. It has already been 

 remarked that, at half past nine the preceding evening, we had found a tide 

 setting to the eastward past the Black Rocks, at the rate of a knot and a 

 half. At ten P.M., when we landed, the tide was rapidly rising and con- 

 tinued to do so till two in the morning, during the whole of which time a 

 few pieces of ice were occasionally driving to the eastward througli the chan- 

 nel. From these observations it was not unreasonable to surmise that the 

 flood-tide came from the westward, though subsequent experience, as will 

 ])resently appear, proved this conjecture to be erroneous. If the intervals 

 between the tides be regular, the time of high water on full and change days 

 of the moon, at Cape Wclsford, would appear to be a quarter past twelve. 

 The perpendicular fall of the water at this morning's tide, which was a spring- 

 tide, the moon being two days old, was sixteen feet seven inches. 



After completing our observations and examination of the channel, we 

 reached the ship by eight A.^I., the Fury having, with groat attention, been 

 kept close off tlic entrance of the strait during the niglit. The Ilecla had at 

 this time just hove in sight under a press of sail to the eastward, having at 

 length, with much difficulty, succeeded in getting into clear water. While 

 engaged in beating through the channel Avith a considerable tide against us, 

 I despatched Mr. Crozier to bring on board sand for the decks, and provided 

 him also with nets for catching sillocks, of which he procured enough to 

 serve the messes of the officers and ships' comj)any for two dinners. 



In beating through this channel, the breadth of which is a mile and three 

 quarters from Cape Wclsford to the Black Rocks, we discovered no danger 

 on the south side, where we had ninety fathoms at two-thirds of a cable's 

 length from the shore, nor any on the northern side except the rocks them- 

 selves, Avhich are completely covered at high water. No soundings could be 

 obtained with one hundred fathoms of line anywhere near the middle of the 

 channel, though the water is remarkably light-coloured at a considerable dis- 

 tance from the shore, owing probably to the same cause as that I before 

 noticed, as occurring near the beach in all the little bays along this coast. 



As soon as we were through the passage, 1 despatched Mr. Bushnan to the 

 Hecla, iu the small boat, with a plan of the channel, and some directions 



