1876 INVALIDS. 167 



The following is an extract from my journal of 

 the 5th :- 



' Another wet misty day, with light variable airs ; 

 upper clouds from the southward, with a temperature 

 of 35. 



' All our invalids are now so far recovered that 

 they are doing duty on deck, merely being excused 

 from going aloft or working in the boats ; but as I 

 must expect a recurrence of the disease to manifest 

 itself during the coming winter, the quickly-advancing 

 season makes me rather anxious lest we fail to escape 

 from the ice. 



' Now that we have attained a position from whence 

 Hayes Sound can be explored, and the interesting 

 question regarding its being a channel leading to a 

 western sea set at rest, a large number of officers and 

 men would be glad if our retreat to the south were cut 

 off, and there are very few who, so long as the two 

 ships passed the winter near each other, would not 

 accept the inevitable with complacency. However, I 

 cannot think that-the winds can be much longer de- 

 layed ; and if they don't bring with them too low a 

 temperature we shall free ourselves somehow or other. 



' The ice in the bay drifts in and out with the tide, 

 moving a distance of about a quarter of a mile. 



' It is instructive to observe how useless our sails 

 have been to us, while navigating to the north of. 

 Smith Sound, both last year and this. On our passage 

 south the square sails have never once been set ; we 

 have always had to force our way along through 

 narrow openings in the pack caused by calms or contrary 

 winds.' 



