230 SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



weather, but as the surface of the snow was sliglitly incrusted with ice, 

 there was no drift to incommode us. As no water was to be procured we 

 were under the necessity of thawing snow. 



" Leaving tliis point, which I named Point Belford, at half-past six we 

 entered the heavy ice in tlie strait, in order to cross at the narrowest part. 

 It was, however, with great difficulty we made our way amongst the high 

 and irregular masses of ice which filled the strait, and tAvo hours and a half 

 elapsed before we arrived at a small island, although the distance could not 

 have er.ceeded two miles. All our party being much fatigued we here 

 rested for the night. Our snow-shoes were much damaged, and we were 

 sensible that without their help we coidd not have drawn our loads amongst 

 the hummocks. On the ice were observed numerous tracks of wolves, foxes, 

 and hares ; we also saw the foot marks of a young bear and its mother, and 

 a hare was afterwards seen near the same spot. From an elevated ground 

 we took the bearings of the islands in Hoppner's Strait, which I named 

 Bird's Isles. 

 10. " The morning of the 10th brought no change in the Avind, but the wea- 



ther was clear and fine. At seven A.M. we moved onwards, and crossed a 

 second strait of a mile in breadth, also filled with heavy ice. This occupied 

 an hour ; and we then kept along sliorc for some distant hills on the main 

 land, near which wo expected oiu' forenoon's journey Avould terminate. In 

 the course of our walk ten deer were seen ; they appeared in very poor case, 

 had not cast their winter coat, and were extremely timid. At eleven we 

 stopped to dine. Our road had been over very irregular ground, on which 

 the snow lay in heavy ridges. The beach was low, and from the nature of 

 the ice that lay on it appeared to be very shallow. Several of the party were 

 slightly affected by snow blindness, which I conceive was in a great measure 

 to be attributed to the long continuance of the north wind, which had been 

 blowing for some hours directly in our faces. The latitude by observation 

 here was 66° 2.3' 10" and long. 0° 11' 15" west of the ships. 



" At six P.M. on again proceeding, a solitary deer ran near us for above a 

 mile, regulating his pace by ours, but seldom coming within gun-shot ; soon 

 afterwards three others crossed our path. Having walked about three miles 

 from the place of observation, we arrived at the foot of a hill we had set from 

 Point Belford ; this place was distant two or three miles from the beach, 

 Avhich still continued its flat appearance. At about three or four miles from 

 the .shore, and bearing S.E.b.E., avc obsei^ved a chain of four Ioav isles, or 



