PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
305 
against the ice in the event of its closing the shore, and they did not CHAP, 
fail to bear in mind the advantage it might afford in a moment of 
necessity. About midnight they were visited by four baidars contain- 
ing about sixty persons, from whom they expected to obtain a supply of Barge, 
venison, as this kind of provision is, generally speaking, abundant to 
the northward of Cape Lisburn ; but being disappointed, they con- 
tinued their progress along the land. On the morning of the 20th 
there was a fall of snow, and the weather turned very cold. They found 
themselves off a village, and were visited by several baidars, the crews of 
which were very anxious to get alongside the barge, and in so doing one 
of the baidars was upset. An Esquimaux dress is very ill adapted to 
aquatic exercises, and persons acquainted with it would think there was 
considerable danger in being plunged into the sea thus habited ; but 
the natives in the other baidars did not seem to reflect upon these con- 
sequences, and laughed most immoderately at the accident : they, how- 
ever, went to the assistance of their friends, and rescued them all. It 
must have been a cold dip for these people, as the rigging and masts 
were partially covered with ice. 
About noon they landed to procure observations, and found the 
latitude of this part of the coast to be 70° 43' 47" N., and longitude, from 
the bearings of Wainwright Inlet, 159° 46' W. Here a post was erected 
for Captain Franklin, on which the following inscription was painted : 
“ Blossom’s tender, Sunday, August 20th, latitude 70° 43' N., bound 
along the coast to the N. E. If Captain Franklin should pass this 
place, he will probably leave some memorandum.” The coast was here 
low, and more dry than that in the vicinity of Wainwright Inlet, with a 
beach of sand and gravel mixed, upon which there was an abundance of 
coal and drift wood. In the evening they passed several yourts, but 
saw no inhabitants until nine o’clock, when several came off and an- 
noyed the crew with their importunities and disorderly conduct. The 
coast was here more populous than any where to the southward, which 
their visiters probably thought a good protection against the small 
force of our boat, and they were not easily driven away. 
On the 21st they arrived off a chain of sandy islands lying some 
distance from the main land, which I have distinguished by the name 
R R 
