SECOND VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY. 347 



Gn the I4th, while an easterly breeze continued, the water increased ^}'^'^- 



. Sept. 



rery much in breadth to the westward of the fixed floe to which we were v-»-y-»j 

 attached ; several lanes opening out, and leaving in some places a channel 

 not less than three miles in width. At two P.M. the wind, suddenly shifting 

 to the westward, closed up every ojien space in the course of a few hours, 

 leaving not a drop of water in sight from the masthead in that direction. 

 To this however we had no objection ; for being now certain that the ice was at 

 liberty to move in the western part of the Strait, we felt confident that if once 

 our present narrow barrier were also detached, the ordinary changes of wind 

 and tide would inevitably aftbrd us opportunities of making progress. When 

 a body of ice has once broken from the land and found some room to move 

 about, the case is seldom a hopeless one ; but the kind of hermttkal-sealing 

 which we had lately witnessed leaves, while it lasts, no resource but pa- 

 tience, and watchfulness. The westerly wind was accompanied by fine 

 snow which continued during the night, rendering the weather extremely 

 thick, and our situation consequently very precarious should the ice give 

 way during the hours of darkness. 



The recent separation of the ice to the westward, while it kept alive our Sun. 15. 

 hopes of soon proceeding on our w^ay, made us also at this moment some- 

 what apprehensive lest Lieutenant Reid and his party might, in their return 

 to the ships, be caught upon it while it was adrift, and escape our observa- 

 tion during tlie thick weather or in the nisrht. It was therefore with arreat 

 satisfaction that, at four P.M. on the loth, we discovered our travellers upon 

 the ice. A fresh party being despatched to meet and^to relieve them of their 

 knapsacks. Lieutenant Reid arrived safely on board at seven P.lNl., having 

 by a quick and most satisfactory journey, ascertained the immediate junction 

 of the Strait of the Fury and Hecla with the Polar Sea. Lieutenant Reid's 

 account, which is here subjoined, weis accompanied by an accurate plan of 

 the Strait, drawn by Mr. Bushnan, and constructed by a series of triangles 

 extending considerably to the eastward of the Narrows, and thence carried 

 on to Igloolik. 



LIEUTENANT REID'S ACCOUNT. 



" At daylight on the 10th, the weather being remarkably fine, I left the lo. 

 Fury with my party, and on our journey towards the land found the walking 



2 Y 2 



