66 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



Au^uVt We continue(1 V m S to > therefore, for the rest of the night; and at 

 five A.M. on the 27th, I left the Fury, taking with me Mr. Bushnan 

 on ' 'to point out the place in question. On reaching the bay, we found that 

 the ice had during the night almost entirely filled it ; but on ascending a 

 hill we observed another and apparently a secure cove, on the opposite or 

 north shore, to which we immediately proceeded. Having placed a flag on 

 a mass of grounded ice, near a shoal point at the entrance, and sounded 

 every part of the cove, which was found to afford good anchorage, we rowed 

 out to the ships. 



Returning on board at eleven A.M., I found that the state of the weather 

 had prevented any observation of the eclipse of the sun which took place 

 this morning ; and Mr. Fisher could only just perceive the penumbra passing 

 over it. Having despatched Mr. Bushnan to the Hecla as a pilot, all sail was 

 immediately made for the inlet, as I was anxious to save the flood-tide in 

 case of the ships grounding. A strong breeze was now blowing from the 

 north-west, which carried the Fury through the water at the rate of seven 

 knots, notwithstanding which she did not advance above three miles an 

 hour over the ground when in the strength of the tide, and in mid-channel. 

 On rounding the shoal point on which the flag had been placed, I was sur- 

 prised to find the water shoal to four, three, and two and three quarter 

 fathoms ; but a press of canvass giving the ship a considerable heel, she for- 

 tunately did not touch the ground. As soon as we had anchored, I found 

 that this circumstance had arisen from the mass of grounded ice having 

 shifted its position by floating with the rise of tide. A boat was therefore 

 despatched to lie off the reef, as a guide to the Hecla ; and Captain Lyon 

 reached the anchorage in safety at one P.M. We lay here in twelve to 

 fifteen fathoms at low water, on a bottom of tough mud, affording excellent 

 holding-ground. Indeed on almost every part of this coast we found the 

 ground equally good, at the distance of two or three cables' lengths from the 

 shore, whereas it is almost invariably rocky in the deeper water of the offing. 



A boat from each ship being immediately prepared, Captain Lyon and my- 

 self left the cove at three P.M. to proceed on the proposed examination. We 

 separated at Point Cheyne, Captain Lyon having pointed out to me the broad 

 eastern channel from which the tide appeared to come, and which it was my 

 intention to examine, while he directed his attention to the smaller passage he 

 had described as leading to the northward. It was agreed that we should 



