OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 249 



CHAPTER X. 



DEPARTURE FROM WINTER ISLAND MEET WITH SOME ESQUIMAUX TRAVELLING TO 



THE NORTHWARD OBSTRUCTIONS AND DANGER FROM THE ICE AND TIDES DIS- 

 COVERY OF THE BARROW RIVER, AND ITS FALL FAVOURABLE PASSAGE TO THE 



NORTHWARD ARRIVAL OFF THE STRAIT OF THE FURY AND UECLA PROGRESS OP- 

 POSED BY A FIXED BARRIER OF ICE COMMUNICATE WITH THE NATIVES OF IGLOOLIK 



UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO GET BETWEEN THE ICE AND THE LAND — LAND UPON 



THE CALTHORPE ISLANDS THE FURY DRIFTED BY THE ICE BETWEEN TWO ISLANDS 



ACCOUNT OF A JOURNEY PERFORMED IN SLEDGES UP AN INLET TO THE WEST- 

 WARD. 



The gale which had for some time been blowing from the northward veered 1822. 

 to the N.W.b.W., and increased in strength on the 1st of July, which soon ^j,j^J 

 began to produce the effect of drifting the ice off the land. In the course ^''^"- '• 

 of the day, a wide lane of water was thus opened to the eastward of the 

 island, but the w'eather was too inclement to think of moving the ships. 

 The wind continued to blow very hard during the night, with snow and 

 sleet, but began to moderate about four A.M. on the 2d. At six o'clock, the Tues. 2. 

 report from the hill being favourable, and the wind and weather now also 

 sufficiently so, we moved out of our winter's dock, which was indeed in part 

 broken to pieces by the swell that had lately set into the bay. At seven we 

 made sail with a fresh breeze from W.N.W., and having cleared the rocks at 

 the entrance of the bay, ran quickly to the northward and eastward. At 

 noon we had Adderley's Bluff due north of us, distant eight miles, and from 

 Captain Lyon's chart and description easily recognised Point Elizabetii 

 beyond it. We now found that the land was completely lined witii ice, 

 extending in most places from two to five miles to sea-ward, and apparently 

 attached to the shores as firmly as any wc had seen. The part next the 

 land, consisting of a strip one or two miles in width, was smooth and level 

 and covered with numerous ponds of water, all which shewed it to have been 



2 K 



