460 Thirty Years 
the ice, in its fickle movements, should open for a 
short time. Notwithstanding the closeness of the ice, 
we perceived a regular rise and fall of the water, 
though it amounted only to seven inches, except on 
the night of the 24th, when the rise was two feet ; — 
but the direction of the fiood was not yet ascertained. 
We found a greater proportion of birch-wood, mixed 
with the drift timber to the westward of the Babbage, 
than we had done before ; between the Mackenzie and 
that river it had been so scarce, that we had to draw 
upon our store of bark to light the fires. Some lunar 
observations were obtained in the afternoon of the 25th, 
and their results assured us that the chronometers 
were going steadily. At midnight we were visited by 
a strong §.W. breeze, accompanied by rain, thunder, 
and lightning. This weather was succeeded by calm, 
and a fog that continued throughout the next day, 
and confined our view to a few yards. Temperature 
from 41° to 43°. On the atmosphere becoming clear 
Wednesday about nine in the evening of the 26th, we 
discovered a lane of water, and immediately embarking, 
we pulled, for an hour, without experiencing much in- 
terruption from the ice. A fresh breeze then sprung 
up from the N.W., which brought with it a very dense 
fog, and likewise caused the ice to close so fast upon 
us, that we were compelled to hasten to the shore, 
We had just landed, when the channel was complete- 
