Aug. 1858. BEECHEY ISLAND DEPOT. 171 



lies in the attempt to penetrate ; to escape out 

 of the pack afterwards is also a doubtful matter. 



In the evening we were glad to see the land, 

 and find ourselves off the north shore near Cape 

 Bullen, for the violent motion of the ship and 

 very weak horizontal magnetic force had 

 rendered our compasses useless. This morning, 

 the 9th, the gale broke, and the sea began to 

 subside rapidly ; by noon it was almost calm, 

 but a thick gloom prevailed, ominous, it might 

 be, of more mischief. All along the land there 

 is ice, but broken up into harmless atoms. We 

 have carried away a maingaff and a jibstay, 

 but have come remarkably well through such a 

 gale with such trifling damage. 



ll^A. — Before noon to-day we anchored inside 

 Cape Riley, and immediately commenced pre- 

 parations for embarking coals. I visited Beechey 

 Island house, and found the door open ; it must 

 have been blown in by an easterly gale long ago, 

 for much ice had accumulated immediately inside 

 it. Most of the biscuit in bags was damaged, but 

 everything else was in perfect order. Upon the 

 north and west sides of the house, where a wall 

 had been constructed, there was a vast accu- 

 mulation of ice, in which the lower tier of casks 

 between the two were embedded, and its sur- 

 face thawed into pools. Neither casks nor walls 



