Whaler Point — Port Leopold. 169 



of which the cliff is composed. At about five 

 o'clock we rounded Cape Seppings, and shortly 

 afterwards made fast to the land-ice which stretched 

 across the mouth of the harbour, just inside the 

 two points. On the right hand, as we entered, 

 was Whaler Point, where we observed the skeleton 

 framework of a house, a boat turned bottom up, and 

 numerous casks scattered about and covering a 

 large extent of ground. 



My thoughts went back to 1848 and 1849, 

 when Sir James Ross wintered in this very place 

 with the " Enterprise " and " Investigator." The 

 house was erected by his orders, and the provisions 

 were left as a depot for the relief of the ill-fated 

 crews of the " Erebus " and " Terror." Sir James 

 Ross entered the harbour of Port Leopold on the 

 11th of September, 1848, having found a greater 

 quantity of ice in Barrow Strait than had ever 

 before been seen at that period of the season. 

 Had the two ships not got into port on that day, it 

 would have been impossible to have done so any 

 day afterwards, the main pack, during the night, 

 having closed the land, and completely sealed the 

 mouth of the harbour. Sir James Ross then pro- 

 ceeded to land a good supply of provisions upon 

 Whaler Point, in which service the steam launch, 

 brought out by the " Investigator/' proved of 

 great value, conveying a large cargo herself and 

 towing two deeply-laden cutters through the sheets 



