23 
dentally put. This was a serious loss to me, as I had intended measuring all 
the heights with it in returning down channel. 
From the Point I took sketches of the two Capes south of the bay, together 
with the opposite coast of Cornwallis Land. 
At 2.45 P.M. Having embarked everything, we pulled all round the bay, 
closely examining its shores, and landing at all remarkable points. At about 
half a mile from the top got soundings in thirteen fathoms, and within less than 
a cable's length of the shore the soundings gave four fathoms very regularly 
The winter's floe had not yet broken up in a creek at its south-western, 
extremity, and young ice had formed here to the thickness of four inches. 
This is the only safe and well-sheltered bay along the whole of this coast for 
anchoring a ship. 
Saw several seals, gulls, and dovekies, and shot one of the latter. Landed 
at a little cove for a few minutes to examine the rocks, and sounded again, still 
getting four fathoms. At 5.30 p.m. landed near a black cliff in a thick snow 
storm, and examined a remarkable-looking ravine running up from it. 
6.30 P.M. — Had to pull through a quantity of sludge ice round the outer 
point in clearing the bay. Took a sketch of the headlands and entrance to the 
bay from the southward. Shot at and struck a seal, but he escaped us. Saw 
four or five ducks. 
At 8.30 P.M. doubled the next Cape, to which I gave the name of Toms, 
after my friend the Assistant Surgeon of the " North Star," an enterprising 
young officer. At 9-30 p.m. passed the Point where the cylinder and memo- 
randa were found coming up channel, which 1 called Domville Point, after 
my friend and brother-officer the Surgeon of the " Resolute." About 10.30 p.m. 
entered Emery Bay, and encamped on a fine hard shingle ridge. 
Wednesday, September 1st. — 1 was awoke between 3 and 4 o'clock this 
.morning by the ice quarter-master, who had the watch, running into the tent, 
and reporting that our boat was swamping in the surf by a sudden squall 
coming on with the flood-tide. On hastening down to the beach I found her 
broadside on, and half full of water and sand. On getting her round, head to 
sea and stern in-shore, we succeeded, after some labour and a thorough 
drenching, in getting everything out of her, and hauling her up above the 
shingle ridge ; capsizing her as soon as she was sufficiently clear of the 
breakers, to empty out the water and sand. It now blew a hard north-westerly 
gale ; the sky was densely overcast, and the air pinchingly cold : thermo- 
meter 29°. 
Breakfasted at 8 a.m. The boisterous state of the weather not affording the 
slightest prospect of our being able to make a move to-day, with such a sea 
running outside ; therefore, after drying the things, and repairing the damages 
sustained by the morning's disaster — fortunately nothing of a more serious 
nature to our provisions than the soaking of an ullage of biscuit in salt water— 
I planned an excursion round the inland ridges of hills ; and, to spread the search 
more widely, separated our party into three divisions of two men in each, 
taking our guns in the hope of meeting with some game, such at least as these 
desolate shores have to offer. We started at 5 p.m., leaving only the cook for 
the day in charge of the encampment, and a gun to defend himself from bruin, 
should it be needed. I directed one division to ascend the ridges south of the 
bay, another directly inland, wiiilst myself, accompanied by one of the boat's 
crew, proceeded up the hill to the north ; first, passing through a romantic- 
looking, deep, and narrow ravine, with steep precipices on either side formed of 
limestone rock, banded horizontally in places with veins of gypsum three or 
four inches in thickness. 1 entered this ravine last night, whilst supper was getting 
read}'^, and traced the foot-prints of a fox to his domicile in the rocks ; but saw 
nothing of him this morning. Following a zig-zag course for about a mile ; the 
black crags breaking through the Avhite mantle of snow which now deeply 
covers the land, gave it a very picturesque appearance, terminating in an open 
space between the hills. On emerging, we ascended the hill bounding it on 
the right, and shaped a south-easterly course, so as to fall into the track of the 
other divisions of our party on the central ridge. On sighting them we 
descended to the shores of the bay, examining the beach all round to the encamp- 
ment, without meeting with the slightest traces or indication of any one having 
preceded us here, and not a living thing to break the death-like stillness and 
C 4 
