OF THE POLAR SEA. 



31 



themselves of the idea of our having lost 

 our way, and a gloom was spread over every 

 countenance. At this encampment Dr. 

 Richardson was obliged to deposit his spe - 

 cimens of plants and minerals, collected on 

 the sea-coast, being unable to carry them 

 any farther. The way made to-day was 

 five miles and a quarter. 



September 22 — After walking about two 

 miles this morning, we came upon the bor- 

 ders of an extensive lake, whose extremities 

 could not be discerned in consequence of 

 the density of the atmosphere ; but as its 

 shores seemed to approach nearer to each 

 other to the southward than to the north- 

 ward, we determined on tracing it in that 

 direction. We were grieved at finding the 

 lake expand very much beyond the con- 

 tracted part we had first seen, and incline 

 to the eastward of south. As, however, it 

 was considered more than probable, from 

 the direction and size of the body of water 

 we were now tracing, that it was a branch 

 of Point Lake; and as, in any case, we 

 knew that by passing round its south end 



