190 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



CHAPTER XI. 



Navigation of the Polar Sea, in two Canoes, as far as 

 Cape Turnagain, to the Eastward, a distance exceed- 

 ing Five Hundred and Fifty Miles — Observations 

 on the Probability of a North- West Passage, 



July 20. — We intended to have embarked 

 early this morning, and to have launched 

 upon an element more congenial with our 

 habits than the fresh-water navigations, 

 with their numerous difficulties and impedi- 

 ments, which we had hitherto encountered, 

 but which was altogether new to our Cana- 

 dian voyagers. We were detained, how- 

 ever, by a strong north-east gale, which 

 continued the whole day, with constant 

 thunder showers ; the more provoking, as 

 our nets procured but few fish, and we had 

 to draw upon our store of dried * meat ; 

 which, with other provision for the journey, 

 amounted only to fifteen days' consumption. 

 Indeed, we should have preferred going 



