June 1829. SNOWY SOUND—BAD NIGHTS. 937 
«3d. We began at daylight, and worked, from point to 
point, up the sound, thinking it a channel. T'wo good ancho- 
rages were found on the west side, but none on the east, except 
a trifling cove between the little island and the land, which 
would only shelter a small vessel. The night was passed on 
an island five miles within the sound. It rained hard for 
an hour before we landed, and all the night afterwards. Our 
rest was not the most satisfactory, as the ground was wet and 
swampy. 
“Two of the boat’s crew got into a hole under a tree 
thinking they should be warm ; but in the middle of the night 
they complained of not being able to get up, and of being half 
frozen. 
«« 4th. The rain ceased at times this morning, but the wind 
continued. After going to the top of an island, we pulled and 
sailed onwards, not having a doubt of soon getting into Whale 
Sound. At noon, the passage appeared suspiciously small ; 
yet I could not doubt the fine large opening laid down in our 
old charts, and proceeded until the shore made a sudden turn, 
when, to my astonishment, I saw a high black cliff stopping 
farther progress. After a hearty growl, we turned back, and 
landed to look for a sleeping place. Not a spot could we find 
that was not wet like a sponge; but night was closing in, and 
obliged us to stay where we were. It was bitterly cold, all of 
us were wet through, the ground was a mere swamp, we could 
not get a fire to burn, and the frost was sharp. 
« After daylight on the 5th, we succeeded in making a 
large fire, and spent two hours drying our clothes and warming 
ourselves. In order to lighten the boat, no one carried more 
clothes, since leaving the cutter, than those he wore, except one 
shirt. We hastened back towards Charles Island, passing some 
very remarkable glaciers, one of which looked like an enormous 
frozen river, covering the whole side of a mountain. Many 
portions were of a transparent blue colour, which, contrasted 
with the snowy whiteness of others, and with the dark shadows 
of bare rocky places, had a very striking effect. At noon, we 
passed out of the sound, and steered for Charles Island, with a 
