306 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, of the Sea Horse Islands. As the wind was light and baffling, they 
landed upon several of these for observations ; and tracking the boat 
^arrative along the shore, at eight in the evening they arrived at the point to 
Barge. whicli I transferred the name of Cape Franklin, on the main land to 
which I had originally given that name, when I found by the discoveries 
of Mr. Elson that the cape was not actually the coast line *. From 
Cape F ranklin, the coast, still consisting of a chain of sandy islands lying 
off the main land, turned to the south-east and united with the main 
land, forming a bay on which I bestowed the name of my first lieutenant, 
Mr. Peard. Two posts were found erected on Cape Franklin, upon 
which another notice was painted. The surface of the beach was a fine 
sand, but by digging a few inches down it was mixed with coal ; there 
was here also, as at their former station, a great quantity of drift wood. 
Off these islands they were visited by several baidars, the people in 
which behaved in a very disorderly manner, attempted several depre- 
dations, and even cut a piece out of one of the sails of the boat while 
it was lying upon the gunwale. Finding the natives inclined to part 
with one of their baidars, she was purchased for two hatchets, under the 
impression that she might be useful to the boat hereafter. Having run 
twenty-nine miles along the coast to the FT. e., they again landed and 
obtained some lunar observations. The coast here assumed a different 
aspect, and consisted of clay cliffs about fifty feet high, and presented 
an ice formation resembling that which has been described in Escholtz 
Bay. The interior of the country was flat, and only partially covered 
with snow. A short distance to the northward of them a river dis- 
charged itself into a lake within the shingly beach which was about 
twenty yards wide, and the water being perfectly fresh, they obtained a 
supply, and pursued their course to the north-east. Their latitude was 
70° 58' 43" FT.; and no ice had as yet been seen, even from the hills. 
This excited the greatest hopes in our adventurous shipmates, who 
advanced quite elated at the prospect; but they had not proceeded 
many miles further before some bergs were seen in the offing nearly in 
the same parallel in which the margin of the ice had been found by the 
* See the Chart. 
