OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



93 



from its entrance, being from a mile to a mile and a quarter in breadth, with 

 good depth of water, and having several small islands near its mouth. Pro- v^^y 

 ceeding without delay on our return, we landed at nine o'clock at the sup- 

 posed river discovered on the 9th, where it was low water by the shore at thirty 

 minutes past nine A.M. The wind was moderate from the eastward, with 

 small drizzling rain. At two P.M. we once more landed on Rendezvous Island, 

 as well for the purpose of picking up some provisions which I had directed 

 Mr. Sherer to leave here in case of accidents, as to ascertain from the hill what 

 parts of the inlet in this neighbourhood yet remained to be examined. The 

 weather being now more clear than when we had last reached this central point 

 of the inlet, we found that an opening to the eastward and two to the westward 

 still presented themselves. I, therefore, chose the most northerly of the latter 

 for our next examination, and that this might be pursued with confidence to 

 the requisite extent, I once more despatched Mr. Sherer back for a fresh 

 supply of provisions, and having, from the hill, fixed on a remarkable islet 

 for his first rendezvous, directed him to follow us as before. 



These arrangements being completed and Mr. Sherer despatched, we left 

 the island and rowed over to the creek which I named, after that gentleman, 

 Sherer's Creek. We found this arm of the sea to have more than one en- 

 trance, there being some islands on the northern side ; but the passage to the 

 southward of them is much the broadest. Having reached the first appointed 

 rendezvous, we found it to be a small insulated rock of gneiss thickly stud- 

 ded with garnets. We here fixed a pike with the necessary directions to 

 Mr. Sherer, and then put on shore for the night in a small snug cove, where 

 we found the usual traces of Esquimaux visitors. 



The weather was calm with rain during the night; and a thick fog on the 

 morning of the 13th, prevented our moving till thirty minutes past six, when Thur. 13. 

 we proceeded up the creek, and in less than two hours had reached the head 

 of it. Near this spot we raised a conspicuous pile of stones, with a memoran- 

 dum deposited under it for Mr. Sherer ; and then crossed over to the south 

 shore, which it was now our object to trace closely along till we came to the 

 second of the westerly openings before noticed. Soon after noon we arrived 

 at a low point, off which we perceived a very strong rippling of tide setting 

 from the southward between the main land and an island lying off it. As 

 we approached this point, where the passage is not more than one-third of a 

 mile across, another appeared a little beyond it, round which the tide was 

 running with still greater rapidity ; it now became doubtful whether we could 



