1876 CROSS LADY FRANKLIN SOUND. 145 



but after an hour's expenditure of coal were compelled 

 to give up the attempt. 



The south-west wind was still blowing strongly on 

 the opposite side of the sound, but for some reason 

 it did not extend across the ice to our shore. It 

 was, however, gradually enlarging the water-space 

 near Daly Peninsula, and kept us on the qui vive. A 

 channel had formed across the sound from Keppel 

 Head, but the ice remained close to the shore between 

 it and the ships. At Cape Baird the water remained 

 open with both tides, which proved that there was not 

 much ice in the neighbourhood. 



During the night the large floe already referred to 

 was driven against Bellot Island ; being then unable 

 to move readily with the ebb-tide, the water-pools on 

 its western edge closed up, while those on its north-east 

 side showed signs of opening. Accordingly, on the 

 morning of the 20th, while I went to the top of the 

 island, Captain Stephenson took the ships back into 

 Discovery Bay. From the summit of the hills I 

 observed that there was only one narrow nip left 

 unopened, and that was close to Bellot Island. At 

 low-water an eddy current opened a channel just wide 

 enough for us to pass through, and with a little 

 trouble we succeeded in reaching the water on the 

 southern shore of the sound. 



We left Discovery Harbour in a perfect calm, but 

 on nearing the edge of the pack met with a strong 

 south-westerly wind blowing up Lady Franklin Sound 

 and Kennedy Channel. It is remarkable that for the 

 three previous days this wind had been blowing on the 

 southern shore without penetrating across the bay. In 



VOL.11. L 



