10 
Fi'anklin Beacon, bearing S.E. by E. 
doubtless, migrating- to less rigorous seas, whilst open water afforded them a 
passage to the southward. Over head, a solitary kittiwake {Larus fridacfylus) 
hovered with uplifted wing, as it breasted the violent gusts of wind that at 
intervals swept past, driving along dense volumes of mist from the mj^sterious 
north, which came rolling over the dark surface of the channel, on the opposite 
side of which, the bleak and barren snow-streaked cliffs of Cornwallis Land 
bounded the horizon to the westward, terminating in a black point forming its 
north eastern extremity, about the position of Cape De Haven, half concealed 
in gloom and mist. To the north westw^ard, Baillie Hamilton Island, loomed, 
like a dark bank of clouds above the horizon : three or four glistening patches 
of white light, reflected upon the surface of the dark water through some hidden 
aperture in the clouds, shone with the brightness of molten silver, amid the 
urrounding lurid atmosphere ; rendering, the whole scene altogether a fit 
subject for the pencil of a Claude. We commenced our descent of the mountain 
at 2.30 P.M., and having taken as careful a survey of the vicinity of our encamp- 
ment as the thick and unfavourable state of the weather would permit of, 
reached the tent at 3.30 p.m., without finding any cairn or traces of any one 
having landed here before us. Only the tracks of a bear and fox on the snow 
were seen. This morning, on starting, a small piece of drift wood was picked 
up above the present high water mark ; and last night another musk ox skull 
w^as found by some of the boat's crew. It was the skull of a cow, the horns 
being small, and a space between their bases on the forehead, and not in such a 
good state of preservation as the last. This gives me sanguine hopes that I 
may yet fall in with the living animal itself, before the winter drives us back 
to the ship. Discouraging as there is no denying our present prospects 
certainly are, we must at all hazards solve the Baring Bay problem first. On 
reaching the tent we found dinner all ready, and a warm mess of preserved 
mutton very acceptable. A dismal night — thermometer 25°. 
Monday 23d. — It blew in heavy squalls all last night. About 9 o'clock this 
morning, however, a lull taking place, I resolved to make an attempt to reach 
J>ai-ing ]>ay as soon so the sea should sufficiently go down for launching the 
boat. After breakfast we erected a cairn on the low shingle ridge where the 
tent stood, and deposited beneath it a tin cylinder containing a record of our 
visit. The upper extremity of the bay was still covered with the smooth 
winter's floe, which had not yet broken up. 
Mkmo. — A boat expedition from Her Majesty's ship " North Star," at Erebus 
and Terror Bay, Beecl)oy Island, in search of Sir John Franklin, encamped here 
