144 'ENTERPRISE,' 1854. 



Point. On the 26th, young ice began to make, and on the 29th it 

 was 2 inches thick, and, owing to pressure, cracked. On October 

 3rd, the land-water being completely frozen over, sleighs left the 

 ship, and found abundance of drift-wood on the beach. 



On May 21st, 1854, pools of water began to make on the flow, and 

 on June 19th the communication with the shore was cut off, except 

 by boat. On July 1st, a large party of Barter Island Eskimo, forty- 

 one in number, came off in their kayaks, from whom a paper, printed 

 on board the Plover at Point Barrow, was obtained, by which we 

 learnt that the Investigator had not been heard of. The ice being 

 sufficiently open alongshore on the 10th, the whale-boat under the 

 command of Lieutenant Jago was despatched to Point Barrow to 

 communicate with the Plover, and instruct Captain Maguire to 

 obtain supplies sufficient to enable the Enterprise to return to the 

 eastward to look after our consort. 



The whale-boat was obliged to be launched across the ice 

 frequently, so much so that on her arrival at Point Barrow her 

 garboard streaks were nearly worn through. She arrived at Point 

 Anxiety, July 12th; Point Milne, July 15th; Point Tangent on 

 the 22nd, and at Point Barrow on the 24th. The Plover had 

 left on the 20th. On July 30th, a sail was seen about 5 miles to 

 the south-west, which afterwards pioved to be H.M.S. Rattlesnake. 



The ice broke up at the ship on July 15th, and enabled her 

 to be moved as far as Point Brownlow, but the ice prevented farther 

 progress, and she was driven back to her winter-quarters on the 

 18th by a westerly wind. This was, so far, fortunate, as it enabled 

 the Barter Island Eskimo to bring the Pat Indians on board, the 

 Chief of whom produced a paper, on which was written as fol- 

 lows : — 



" Fort Youcon, June 27th, 1854. 

 " The printed slips of paper delivered by the officers of H.M.S. Plover on 

 the 25th of April, 1854, to the Eat Indians were received on the 27th of June, 

 1854, at the Hudson Bay Company's establishment, Fort Youcon. The Rat 

 Indians are in the habit of making periodical trading excursions to the 

 Esquimaux along the coast. They are a harmless, inoffensive set of Indians, 

 ever ready and willing to render every assistance they can to the whites. 



" Wm. Lucas Hardisty, 



" Clerk in Charge." 



The ice prevented the ship making much progress, and it was 

 the 26th before Eeturn Eeef was reached. At noon, on the 29th, 

 the Point Barrow natives met us. On the 6th, Harrison Bay 

 was reached, and the ship arrived at Point Barrow on the 8th 

 of August. 



