274 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



of superstitious alarm in their minds. This sort of gossip and incessant chat- 

 ^ri> tering and laughing continued till near midnight, when the numerous visitors 

 in our tents began to retire to their own and to leave us to our repose. 



Wed. 17. Awaking at four A.M. on the 17th, I found that the weather had mode- 

 rated and cleared up and the ships soon after appearing in sight ; we called 

 our boat's crew up, and sent one of the Esquimaux round to the other tents 

 to inform Captain Lyon of our setting out. Several of the natives ac- 

 companied us to our boat which they cheerfully helped us to launch, and 

 then went round to another part of the beach for their own canoes. A thick 

 fog had come on before this time, notwithstanding which however we ma- 

 naged to find the ships, and got on board by seven o'clock. Five canoes ar- 

 rived soon after, and the wind being now light and variable, we lay to for an 

 hour to repay our kind friends for the hospitable reception they had given 

 us. After supplying them abundantly with tin canisters, knives, and pieces 

 of iron-hoop, we hauled to the north-eastward to continue our examination of 

 the state of the ice, in hopes of finding that the late gale had in this respect 

 done us some service. 



Lieutenant Nias informed me on my return that the ships had, as I appre- 

 hended, experienced considerable difficulty in beating off the shore and the 

 ice, upon which the gale had directly blown with a good deal of sea. The 

 Hecla had indeed been once driven upon the margin of the floe, where 

 she remained in a very awkward situation for half an hour, and then fortu- 

 nately effected her escape ; after which by carrying a press of canvass both 

 ships succeeded in gaining an offing, though not without much fatigue from 

 constant wet and exertion. 



The fog continued with a light and variable easterly wind during the rest 

 of the day, so that we could see but a short distance. As far as we could dis- 

 tinguish at intervals, however, the land-ice appeared to stretch quite across 

 the mouth of the strait as before. The soundings were regular in the offing, 

 varying from thirty-six to fifty-five fathoms according to our distance from the 



Thur. 18. island. On the 18th the weather was at times sufficiently clear to allow us a 

 glimpse of the eastern land, a part of which appeared to be composed of 

 islands lying off the higher and continuous shore of Keiyuk-tarruoke, and as 

 it was possible that this shore might be gained by sailing round these and 

 getting within them, I determined on making the attempt; and acquainting 

 Captain Lyon with my intentions, appointed Igloolik as our rendezvous in 

 case of separation. This latter contingency seemed now the more likely as 



