126 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



1826, to reach Point Barrow. Mr. Shedden, in a schooner-yacht 

 of 140 tons, rounded the Point on August 4th, 1849. 



The Investigator, Comm r - McClure, on August 5th, 1850. 



The Enterprise, Captain Collinson, on August 20th, 1850. 

 „ „ „ on July 25th, 1851. 



The Plover, Comm r - Maguire, on August 20th, 1852, 



and wintered there, heing frozen in on September 24th. 



The Plover left her winter quarters on August 7th, 1853. 



Eeturned to „ • „ on September 7th, 1853. 



Left again her „ „ on July 19tb, 1854. 



Eeturning to her „ „ on August 28th, 1854. 



Enterprise returning from the eastward, 



Eounded the Point on August 8th, 1854. 



And returned from Port Clarence on August 28th, 1854. 



The season of 1854 was, undoubtedly, the most open, the ice 

 being so far from the Point that the whaling ships were enabled to 

 fish off it. 



The season may be considered to be open from the beginning of 

 July to the middle of September. The pack is usually met with 

 off Icy Cape, and should westerly winds have prevailed and forced 

 the pack into the shore, a vessel will do well to wait until the 

 wind subsides, when the current will be sure to open tbe lane 

 between the land and the pack. Easterly winds check the current, 

 and, after a continuation of them, there is a set alongshore to the 

 southward. Some natives got adrift in the ice in 1853, and were 

 carried by this set to the southward of Icy Cape, the land being 

 always in sight. 



In both years the Plover wintered at Point Barrow. The ice 

 round the Point was broken up, and swept to the northward by 

 south-westerly gales. At times no ice could be seen from the mast- 

 head. In 1853 this disruption occurred in December, and caused 

 the water to rise 3^ feet above the highest spring-tide. The tem- 

 perature at the same time rose to-|- 30° F. In January, 1854, the 

 same thing occurred, the thermometer on this occasion rising to 

 -J- 27°. During both winters a water-sky to the north-west was 

 generally observed from the ship, unless after a long continuance of 

 north-westerly winds or calm weather. There is but little rise and 

 fall of the tide, 0'7 inches being the average. With fine weather 

 or easterly winds they were very regular, but a south-west gale 

 upset them altogether. 



Eskimo whale-fishing commenced on May 7th, 1853, the open 



