82 
VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 
1819. six men, had been despatched from the Griper, with the hope of surprising 
some rein-deer and musk-oxen, whose tracks had been seen in a ravine to the 
westward of the ships. As they had not yet returned, in compliance with the 
instructions given to Mr. Fife, and had only been supplied with a small quan- 
tity of provisions, it was natural to apprehend that they had lost their way in 
pursuit of game, more especially as the night had been too inclement for them 
to have voluntarily exposed themselves to it. I therefore recommended to 
Lieutenant Liddon to send a party in search of his people, and Messrs. Reid, 
Beverly, and Wakeham, who immediately volunteered their services on the 
occasion, were accordingly despatched for this purpose. Soon after their de- 
parture, however, it began to snow, which rendered the atmosphere so ex- 
tremely thick, especially on the hills along which they had to travel, that this 
party also lost their way in spite of every precaution, but fortunately got 
sight of our rockets after dark, by which they were directed to the ships, and 
returned at ten o’clock, almost exhausted with cold and fatigue, without any 
intelligence of the absentees. 
At day-light on the following morning I sent Lieutenant Hoppner, with the 
Mecla’s fore-royal-mast rigged as a flag-staff, which he erected on a conspicuous 
hill four or five miles inland, hoisting upon it a large ensign, which might be 
seen at a considerable distance in every direction. This expedient occurred to 
us as a more certain mode of directing our absentees towards the ships than 
that of sending out a number of parties, which I could not, in common pru- 
dence, as well as humanity, permit to go to any great distance from the ships ; 
but the snow fell so thick, and the drift was so great, during the whole of the 
12th, that no advantage could at that time be expected from it, and another 
night came without the absent party appearing. 
Mon. 13. Our apprehensions on their account had by this time increased to a most 
painful degree, and I therefore ordered four parties, under the command of 
careful officers, to be prepared to set out in search of them the following 
morning. These parties carried with them a number of pikes, having small 
flags attached to them, which they were directed to plant at regular inter- 
vals, and which were intended to answer the double purpose of guiding 
themselves on their return, and of directing the absent party, should 
they meet with them, to the ships. For the latter purpose a bottle was 
fixed to each pike, containing the necessary directions for their guidance, 
and acquainting them that provisions would be found at the large flag-staff 
on the hill. Our searching parties left the ships soon after day-light, the 
