OV A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 
257 
These considerations, together with some others of minor importance, in- 1820. 
duced me, at this time, to call for the opinions of the principal officers of the 
Expedition, being desirous of profiting by their united judgment and expe- 
rience, previous to forming my ultimate decision as to the measures most 
proper to be pursued. I, therefore, addressed a letter to Lieutenants Liddon, 
Beechey, and Hoppner, Captain Sabine, and Messrs. Edwards and Hooper, 
respectively, directing their attention to the different points connected with 
our situation which I have just detailed, and requesting their advice upon the 
subject within thirty -six hours after the receipt of my letter. 
Early in the morning of the 24th, the wind shifted to north, and soon after Thur. 24. 
increased to a fresh breeze, which made the ice stream off the land, but so slowly, 
that it was not till ten A.M., that we had a channel wide enough to move the 
ships to a point a mile and a half to the eastward, which we reached by short 
tacks at noon ; and, beyond which, as well as to the south and west, nothing but 
ice could be seen. So quickly, indeed, was the narrow channel closed, in tvhich 
we had been sailing, that when we made fast to the ice at the point, it would 
have been impossible to have returned even to the spot we had just before left. 
A herd of musk-oxen being seen at a little distance from the ships, a party 
was despatched in pursuit ; and Messrs. Fisher and Bushnan were fortunate 
in killing a fine bull, which separated from the rest of the herd, being too 
unwieldy to make such good way as the others. He was, however, by no 
means caught by our people in fair chase, for though these animals run with 
a hobbling sort of canter that makes thepi appear as if every now and 
then about to fall, yet the slowest of them can far outstrip a man. In 
this herd were two calves, much whiter than the rest, the older ones having 
only the white saddle. In the evening, Serjeant Martin succeeded in killing 
another bull ; these two animals afforded a very welcome- supply of fresh meat, 
the first giving us three hundred and sixty-nine, and the other three hundred 
and fifty-two pounds of beef, which was served in the same manner as before.* 
* The total quantity of game obtained for the use of the Expedition, during our stay upon 
the shores of Melville Island, being a period of nearly twelve months, was as follows : 
3 Musk-oxen - 
24 Deer - - - 
68 Hares - - - 
53 Geese - - - 
59 Ducks - - 
144 Ptarmigans - 
> Affording 3,766 pounds of meat. 
