■48 SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



'^21. Island, bringing off specimens of the plants and minerals, which were much 

 y^^^r^ the same as those collected the preceding evening. Some of the party con- 

 fidenUy reported that they had heard the shouting of natives, though they 

 could not meet with thcni. From this circumstance, as well as from the 

 smoke which hud before been observed near this place, we thought it likely 

 that some Esquimaux were not far off, but that, never having before 

 communicated with Europeans, they had perhaps been scared at our 

 approach. 



A breeze from the S.W., which sj)rung up at two P.M., enabled us to weigh 

 before high water; when, having picked up our boats, we made all sail for 

 the channel, through which we passed at half past four with a strong breeze. 

 The Black Rocks were at this time totally concealed, and the ice quite 

 washed away from them by the last spring-tides, so that, had we not before 

 known their situation, lyiug, as they do, almost in mid-channel, wc might 

 perhaps have run directly upon thcni. The mark for being abreast of them 

 is shewn in the accompanying plan, and to any ship visiting this bay will be 

 useful with a turning wind. When the breeze is free, the only direction 

 necessary is to keep about three-fourths over from the small islet to the high 

 southern shore, which is bold quite close to the rocks. On hauling to the 

 northward we found the ])()sition of the ice very unfavourable to our pro- 

 gress in that direction, and the wind increasing to a strong breeze, with 

 every appearance of bad weather, we reefed our sails, for the purpose of 

 standing off and on during the night, with the hope that this wind would in 

 a few hours clear the shore along which it was now our object to sail. After 

 dark it began to blow stronger with rain and some sea out of the bay, obliging 

 us to carry a press of canvass, and to keep all hands on deck, to enable us 

 to weather the ice under our lee. 

 Mod. 20. After midnight the weather moderated a little, and the wind drew more to 

 the southward, giving us some shelter under the lee of the land till daylight, 

 when we found that the breeze had done us all the service we had anticipated, 

 by opening a wide passage between the land and the ice to the northward. 

 Not a moment was lost in availing ourselves of this opportunity, and we ran ra- 

 pidly and almost without obstruction along the land, passing numerous islands 

 and bays with which this shore abounds. Piles of stones were seen, as usual, 

 in various places along the coast. The eastern shore of this new strait still ap- 

 peared continuous, and both lands began to trend mwe to the westward. In the 

 course of the afternoon we passed several streams of ice, much of which was 



