OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 
229 
our discoveries from the entrance of Sir James Lancaster’s Sound westward, 1820. 
in the preceding year ; and that if we were favoured with the same degree of 
success during the same period as before, there could be little doubt of the 
eventual accomplishment of our enterprise. 
In running along shore towards Cape Hearne, generally at the distance of 
half a mile from the land, we had from ten to sixteen fathoms’ water, and 
rounded the hummocks off the point in six and a half fathoms by three P.M. 
As we opened the point, it was pleasing to see that the coast to the west- 
ward of it was more clear of ice, (excepting the loose pieces which lay 
scattered about in every direction, but which would not very materially 
have impeded the navigation with a fair wind,) than it had been when we first 
arrived off it, a month later in the foregoing year; the main ice having 
been blown off by the late westerly and north-westerly winds, to the distance 
of four or five miles from the shore, which, from all we have seen on this 
part of the coast, appears to be its utmost limit. The navigable channel, with 
a beating wind between the ice and the land, was here from one to two 
or two miles and a half in width, and this seemed, from the mast-head, to con- 
tinue as far as the eye could reach along-shore to the westward. 
We found the wind much more westerly after we rounded the point, which 
made our progress slow and tedious ; the more so, as we had every minute 
to luff for one piece of ice, and to bear up for another, by which much 
ground was unavoidably lost. We also found the ships to be considerably 
impeded by a tide or current setting to the eastward, which, as it slackened 
about seven in the evening, I considered to be the flood, the time of high 
water at Winter Harbour this day being about half-past seven. After a 
very few tacks, we had the mortification to perceive, that the Griper sailed 
and worked much worse than before, notwithstanding every endeavour 
which Lieutenant Liddon had been anxiously making during her re-equip- 
ment, to improve those qualities in which she had been found deficient. 
She missed stays several times in the course of the evening, with smooth 
water, and a fine working breeze ; and, by midnight, the Hecla had gained 
eight miles to windward of her, which obliged me to heave-to, notwith- 
standing the increased width of the navigable channel, the weather having 
become hazy, so as to endanger our parting company. 
At three A.M., on the 2d, the Griper having joined us, we again made Wed. 2. 
sail to the westward. As, however, I could not but consider that her bad 
sailing had already lost us a distance of at least seven miles in the first day 
