OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 
71 
within it from eight to thirteen fathoms. The sun-set of this evening was 1819. 
extremely beautiful, the weather being clear and frosty, and the sky 
without a cloud. The moon rising soon after, afforded a spectacle no less 
pleasing, and far more sublime. Her horizontal diameter appeared to be 
very much elongated when just above the horizon, owing to the unequal 
refraction of the upper and lower limbs; but it measured 33' 20", being 
only 6" more than the true, which difference may have arisen from an error 
in the observation. The vertical diameter measured 30' 40 ". 
Having weathered all the ice round which we had to sail, in order to pro- Sat. 4. 
ceed to the westward, we were under the necessity of lying-to, off Skene Bay, 
for some hours, the weather having become very squally and unsettled, with 
occasional fog, and the night not being sufficiently light to ascertain whether 
there was a passage between the ice and a point of land which forms the 
western extreme of the bay. On its eastern side an inlet, two miles wide 
at the entrance, was discovered, and named after Mr. Beverly, and at the 
bottom of this we did not see the land all round. At half-past two A.M., we 
made sail to the westward, the Griper having been directed by signal to 
extend her distance ; a precaution which was always adopted in cases 
where shoal-water was to be apprehended, in order to avoid the risk of both 
ships grounding at the same time. As we approached the point, the sound- 
ings decreased gradually from thirty to seven fathoms, in which depth I 
tacked, and despatched Mr. Palmer in a boat to sound round the point, to 
which I gave the name of Cape Palmer, after the gentleman intrusted 
with this service. Having been informed by signal from the boat, that no 
less than six fathoms’ water had been found, we again tacked, and soon after 
rounded the point in that depth, at the distance of three quarters of a 
mile from a low sandy beach. We then ran several miles along the shore 
without much obstruction, till the wind, backing to the north-west, obliged 
us to make several tacks between the ice and the land, the navigable channel 
being at this time between three and four miles wide. At noon we observed, in 
latitude 74° 54' 49", the longitude, by chronometers, being 108° 31' 44", at which 
time we were off a low, sandy island, which was named after Mr. Dealy, and 
which lies near the entrance into a large inlet, to which the name of Bridport 
Inlet was given, from regard to the memory of the late Lord Bridport. This 
inlet runs a considerable distance to the northward, and seemed to afford good 
shelter for ships ; but, as we had no opportunity of examining it in our 
boats, I am unable to state any further particulars respecting it. The land to the 
