DR. RAE, 1851— 'ENTERPRISE,' 1852. 153 



was reached on July 5th. Point Barrow was rounded on July 16th, 

 and Cape Alexander on the 24th. The ice breaking up on the 27th, 

 the strait was crossed to the Finlayson Islands on the 27th, and 

 Cape Colborne reached on August 1st. 



At Parker Bay the flood tide came from the eastward. Beaching 

 the south end of Taylor Island, they found very heavy, closely- 

 packed ice; but the ebb tide being in their favour, they made 

 way, but with considerable risk. 



On the 6th Cape Princess Bo} T al was discovered, and some drift- 

 wood (poplar) was seen. In lat. 69° 56', long. 102° 31', a piece of 

 pine, 18 feet long by 10 inches diameter, was found. On the 9th of 

 August the ice was found close in to the shore. 



After waiting until the 12th without the ice opening, Dr. Bae 

 started on a foot journey, and eventually reached lat. 70° 3', long. 

 101° 25' 1 . Beturning, the boats were reached in 8^ hours. The dis- 

 tance of the boat from the position of the Erebus and Terror, where 

 they were abandoned on April 12th, 1848, is only 50 miles, being 

 the nearest approach to the accomplishment of the North-West 

 Passage by sea. 2 After attempting to cross over to King William 

 Land, he set out on his return on the 16th. 



Parker Bay was reached on the 20th, and Eskimo met with ; 

 here a piece of pine-wood, 5 feet 9 inches long, and round, resem- 

 bling the butt end of a small flagstaff, was found ; a bit of white line 

 was nailed on to it with two copper tacks ; both line and tacks had 

 the Government mark. On the 22nd Point Back was gained, and 

 on the 28th the Bloody Falls were reached, not having seen a bit 

 of ice since leaving Point Back : 21 deer had been shot on the 

 coast. Leaving one boat behind, the rapids were passed with great 

 difficulty, and the Kendall Biver reached on the 5th day, and Fort 

 Confidence was reached in the boat on September 10th. 3 



Voyage of the ' Enterprise ' from Winter Cove, through the Dolphin 

 and Union Strait, to Cambridge Bay. — The thickness of the ice in 

 our winter-quarters, in lat. 71° 36' and long. 117° 40', attained its 

 maximum, 5 feet 1\ inches, on April 1st, 1852. On May 1st it was 

 5 feet 3 inches; on June 1st, 5 feet 1 inch; on May 1st, 4 feet 10 

 inches. The ship forged ahead in her icy cradle on July Kith, tho 

 thickness of the ice then being 3 feet 4^ inches, and on the L9th 



1 Two of Dr. Rae's men reached 70° 13', and saw coast 7° farther. 



'-' Tli approach of two ships is the ILcla and luitrrprisc, .">7 miles. 



3 On the coast of Victoria Land the flood-tide comes from the ooast to long. 

 104° or 105°, where it is met with the flood coming from n.k. down tho Victoria 

 Channel. — J. R. 



