OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



449 



a walking party, laden with tent and provisions, would make but little pro- 1823 



. June. 



gress over the mountains." ^ 



Had it not been for our preceding year's experience in this neighbourhood, j u ]y. 

 the present appearance of the ice, and the rapid progress which it seemed Wed * 5 

 to be daily making towards dissolution, would have flattered us with hopes of 

 an early release, which, as we now too well know, must have ended in dis- 

 appointment. , The space we had covered with sand, and which was now 

 called the canal, was from a foot to eighteen inches deep, with water 

 throughout its whole extent ; and such was the benefit evidently to be de- 

 rived from it, that could the same thing have been carried the whole way 

 down to the open water, the first south-easterly gale would probably have 

 caused a total disruption, and at once liberated the ships. As it was, there 

 could be little doubt that it would still very considerably facilitate our escape, 

 which, with this assistance, it was reasonable to hope might yet be effected 

 before the conclusion of the month of July, though we had still six miles of 

 ice interposed between us and the open water. 



Our shooting parties to the southward had of late been tolerably suc- 

 cessful, not less than two hundred and thirty ducks having been sent in to 

 the ships in the course of the last week. Mr. Ross had procured a specimen 

 of a gull having a black ring round its neck, and which, in its present plu- 

 mage, we could not and described. This bird was alone when it was killed, 

 but flying at no great distance from a flock of tern, which latter it somewhat 

 resembles in size as well as in its red legs ; but is on closer inspection easily 

 distinguished by its beak and tail, as well as by a beautiful tint of most 

 delicate rose-colour on its breast. 



The first continued rain that we had seen this season fell for several 

 hours on the morning of the 2d, though a few drops had before been 

 observed on the 15th and 29th of June. For the remainder of the month 

 of July we experienced a great deal of rain and fog, with long southerly and 

 easterly winds, and a high mean daily temperature. 



On my arrival at the ships I found several new Esquimaux on board who, 

 to the number of twenty, had lately arrived from Tooiiuoiiee-robchiiik, a place 

 situated to the westward and northward of Igloolik and somewhere upon 

 the opposite coast of Cockburn Island. The distance to this place was 

 stated by the Esquimaux to be from six to eight days' journey, of which one 



3 m 



