OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 
45 
twelve, the tide rose by the shore six inches, and the high-water mark was 1819. 
between two and three feet above this : but we were not long enough on 
shore to form a correct judgment of the time at which high water takes place. 
About three-quarters of a mile to the southward of Port Bowen is another 
small bay, which we had not time to examine. 
Soon after I returned on board, a light breeze from the southward enabled 
us to steer towards Prince Leopold’s Islands, which, however, we found to 
be more encumbered with ice than before, as we could not approach them so 
near as at first by three or four miles. The narwhals were here very numerous ; 
these animals appear fond of remaining with their backs exposed above the 
surface of the water, in the same manner as the whale, but for a much longer 
time, and we frequently also observed their horns erect, and quite stationary 
for several minutes together. Three or four miles to the northward of Port 
Bowen we discovered another opening, having every appearance of a harbour, 
with an island near the entrance ; I named it after Captain Samuel Jackson, 
of the Royal Navy. 
The whole of the 14th was occupied in an unsuccessful attempt to find an Sat. 14. 
opening in the ice to the westward, which remained perfectly close and 
compact, with a bright ice-blink over it. Our latitude at noon was 73° 35' 30", 
longitude 89° 01' 20", being in two hundred and ten fathoms of water, on 
a muddy bottom. Some water, brought up in Doctor Marcet’s bottle from one 
hundred and eighty-five fathoms, was at the temperature of 34°, that of the 
surface being the same, and of the air 39°. 
The ice continued in the same unfavourable state on the 15th ; and being Sun. 15. 
desirous of turning to some account this vexatious but unavoidable detention, 
I left the ship in the afternoon, accompanied by Captain Sabine and Mr. 
Hooper, in order to make some observations on shore, and directed Lieute- 
nant Liddon to send a boat from the Griper for the same purpose. We 
landed in one of the numerous valleys, or ravines, which occur on this part of 
the coast, and which, at a few miles’ distance, very much resemble bays, 
being bounded by high hills, which have the appearance of bluff headlands. 
We found the water very deep close to the beach, which is composed of 
rounded limestones, and on which there was no surf ; we then ascended, with 
some difficulty, the hill on the south side of the ravine, which is very steep, 
and covered with innumerable detached blocks of limestone, some of which 
are constantly rolling down from above, and which afford a very insecure 
footing. Prom the top of this hill, which is about six or seven hundred feet 
