236 



SECOND VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY. 



j^ 22 - but in the popular acceptation of the word it certainly had not. Such 

 -ty^o was the state of things on shore at the conclusion of the month of May. 

 Upon the ice appearances were not more promising. Except in the im- 

 mediate neighbourhood of the ships, where from the constant trampling, 

 and the laying of various stores upon the ice, some heat had artificially 

 been absorbed, it would have been difficult to point out in what respect 

 any advances towards dissolution had been made upon the upper surface, 

 where six or seven inches of snow yet remained in every part. Here again, 

 without any undue partiality for our old winter-quarters, it was natural as 

 well as reasonable to bear in mind, that before this time we had there ex- 

 perienced several hours of hard rain, than which nothing proves more ef- 

 fectual in dissolving the ice. The consequence was that, for the last week 

 in May, at Melville Island, the surface of the ice had assumed quite a green 

 appearance ; while here it was still as white as a covering of snow could 

 make it. 



Under these circumstances I came to the determination, now that the 

 ships were ready for sea, to try what could be effected towards their re- 

 lease, by sawing and cutting the ice ; for it was vexatious to see open 

 water daily in the offing, and not to be able to take advantage of it. Ar- 

 rangements were therefore made for getting every thing, except the tent 

 and instruments, on board the next day, and for commencing this more la- 

 borious occupation on the following Monday. > 



We were not the only inhabitants of these regions that seemed to think 

 it high time for the summer to have arrived, for there was to-day quite a 

 general muster of the birds about the island. A great many ducks and 

 silvery gulls, two swans, two pair of ring-plovers, several ravens and grouse 

 were seen, besides the usual flocks of the cheerful little snow-buntings. 

 Mr. Ross killed a raven and a pair of grouse ; the former of these was quite 

 black, and one of the latter, a female bird, had a few speckled feathers on 

 each wing, the tail being black near the tip. Captain Lyon was out for se- 

 veral hours with his gun and met with eight rein-deer, but found them too 

 wild to be approached. The thermometer got up to 41° in the warmest part 

 of the day, but remained so high as this only for a short time, a light breeze 

 of wind immediately bringing it down to 35°. 

 Jj B j' On the 1st of June, having launched a boat at the mouth of the bay, I 

 went to sound in that neighbourhood and along the eastern side of the 

 island, preparatory to marking out the intended canal. We now found that 



