96 SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



g^' altitude, which gave the latitude 66° 50' 40". While thus employed a fine 

 ^r^j doe and her fawn took the water near us, and would have been easily over- 

 taken had not our people been straggling about with their guns, so that only 

 half a boat's crew could be made up to go in pursuit of them. Judging by 

 the velocity of the boat through the water, I should think these animals swam 

 across the creek at the rate of between two and three miles an hour, the dis- 

 tance being one-third of a mile. The doe could evidently have gone faster 

 if alone, but she kept so close to her young one, that our people positively 

 declared the latter sometimes rested on her back, or, as they expressed it, was 

 " taken in tow by her." The doe, having landed first, turned round to face 

 us, trembling violently, but remaining on the spot till the fawn joined her, 

 when they trotted off together and thus escaped. 



The tide Avas running to the westward during the time that the water was 

 falling by the shore this day ; at noon it was flowing and the stream setting 

 up in our favour at the rate of half a knot. In less than half an hour after 

 leaving the shore, we saw clearly to the head of this creek, of which the 

 breadth had now become narrowed to three or four hundred yards. We found, 

 however, a good depth of water after passing the islands at the entrance, 

 on neither side of which did we carry above fifteen feet through the channel. 

 I named this place, which was the last we had now to explore, after my friend 

 Mr. George Norman, jun. of Bath. 



To save time on our return we rowed towards an isthmus on the west shore, 

 which we had observed in the morning, and over which we now proposed 

 hauling the boats. On reaching the spot, however, we found that even this 

 labour might be spared, as the water, being at this time higher, afforded a 

 shoal and narrow passage, which must be quite dry at low tide. The stream 

 of flood was here setting north-east at the rate of two miles per hour. We 

 next rowed into a small bay about a mile deep, and after remaining on shore 

 there for three quarters of an hour, till it was high water, set out at twenty 

 minutes past four P.M. on our return to the ships. The stream began to set 

 down in an hour after ; and being thus assisted by a rapid and favourable tide, 

 we fortunately just before dark discovered the Heclaat anchor near the mouth 

 of the inlet, and arrived on board at thirty minutes past six P.M. 



I learned from Captain Lyon that the Hecla had just anchored at her pre- 

 sent station, the Fury still remaining at the former place, into which the ice 

 had lately come so thick as to require the assistance of all hands from both 

 ships to warp and tow the Hecla out. Proceeding with a fresh boat's crew 



