OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 4^^, 



a walking party, laden Avith tent and provisions, would make but little pro- 1823 

 ffress over the mountains." u*".-sl 



Had it not been for our preceding years experience in this neiglibourhood, juiy. 

 tlic present appearance of the ice, and the rapid progress which it seemed ^^'^^- ^• 

 to be daily making towards dissolution, Avould have flattered us with hopes of,, 

 an early release, which, as we now too well know, must have ended in dis- 

 aj)po!ntment. The space we had covered with sand, and which was now 

 called the canal, was from a foot to eighteen inches deep, with water 

 throughout its whole cxteiit ; and such was the benelit evidently to be de- 

 rived from it, that could the same thing have been carried the whole way 

 d()«n to the open water, the first south-easterly gale would probably have 

 caused a total disruption, and at once liberated the ships. As it was, there 

 .could be little doubt that it would still very considerably facilitate our escape, 

 which, with this assistance, it was reasonable to hope might yet be efiectcd 

 before the conclusion of the month, of July, though sve had still six miles of 

 ice interposed between us and the open water. 



Our shooting j)arties to the soutliAvard had of late been tolerably suc- 

 cessful, not less than two hundred and thirty ducks having been sent in to 

 the ships in the course of tlie last week. j\Ir. Ross had procured a specimen 

 of a gull having a black ring round its neck, and vvhich, in its present plu- 

 mage, we could not find described. This bird was alone when it was killed, 

 but flying at no great distance from a flock of tern, which latter it somewhat 

 resembles in size as well as in its red legs ; but is on closer inspection easily 

 distinguished by its beak and tail, as well as by a beautiful tint of most 

 delicate rose-colour on its breast. 



The first continued rain that wc had seen this season fell for several 

 hours on the morning of the ^d, though a few drops had before been 

 obsei-ved on the 15th and 29th of June. For the remainder of the month 

 of July we experienced a great deal of rain and fog, with long southerly and 

 easterly Avinds, and a high mean daily temperature. 



On my arrival at the ships I found several new Esquimaux on board who, 

 to the number of twenty, had lately arrived from Toonuoncc-ruochiuk , a j)lace 

 situated to the westward and northward of Igloolik and somewhere upon 

 the opposite coast of Cockburn Island. The distance to this place was 

 stated by the Esquimaux to be from six to eight days' journey, of which one 



3 JI 



