336 
VOYAGE TO THE 
HAP. We were now made sensible of the great advantage arising from 
the economical system that had been adopted at the Society and Sand- 
^Ott. wich Islands, and also from the reduction of an eleventh part of the 
ship s company at Portsmouth, without which the provision before this 
period would have been wholly expended, as the allowance from the 
time of leaving Chili had been reduced as low as it conveniently could, 
for a continuance, consistent with the strength of the ship’s company, 
who for several months had been on half allowance. 
It now remained for me to consider how Captain Franklin could be 
most benefited in the event of his party arriving after our departure. It 
was evident that we could do no more than put him in possession of 
every information we had obtained, and leave him a temporary supply 
of provisions and bartering articles, with which he could procure others 
from the natives. To this end a barrel of flour was buried for him 
upon the sandy point of Chamisso, a place which, from the nature of 
the ground, was more likely to escape observation than the former one, 
where the newly turned turf could not be concealed. A large tin case,' 
containing beads and a letter, w^as deposited with it, to enable him to 
purchase provisions from the natives, and to guide his conduct. Ample 
directions for finding these were both cut and painted on the rock ; 
and to call the attention of the party to the spot, which they might 
otherwise pass, seeing the ship had departed, her name was painted in 
very large letters on the cliffs of Puffin Island, accompanied with a notice 
of her depaiture, and the period to which she had remained in the 
sound. Beneath it were written directions for finding the cask of flour, 
and also a piece of driftwood which was deposited in a hole in the cliff. 
This billet had been purposely bored and charged with a letter con- 
taining all the useful information I could impart to the party, and then 
plugged up in such a manner that no traces of its being opened were 
visible. In fact, nothing was left undone that appeared to me likely to 
prove useful. 
Iiaving thus far performed our duty, w’e prepared- the ship for sea 
in order that she might start at an hour’s notice. On the 13th, the 
tempeiature fell to 27°, the lakes on shore had borne two or three days, 
and the sea had cooled down 8° ; in short, there was every appearance 
