342 
APPENDIX NO. Y. 
Journal of a Travelling Party into the Interior eastward from 
Rensselaer Harbor . 
Party consisting of Mr. Wilson, Dr. Mayes , and Mans, the Esquimaux. 
Brio Advance, March 29, 1854. 
To Dr. E. K. Kane, Commanding American Arctic Expedition. 
The subjoined journal is a copy from a rough note-book kept daily, 
and the accompanying chart is projected from the field-notes. 
Respectfully submitted, your obedient servant, 
I. I. Hayes, Surgeon to Expedition. 
September 8, Thursday.—Left the brig at 7 P.M., equipped by 
order as follows:—two buffalo-robes sewed together and covered with 
India-rubber cloth, to serve as a tent; thirty pounds of peminican, two 
of bread, one of meat-biscuit, one of chocolate, and one of coffee, con¬ 
stituted our stock of provisions. Each man carried a tin-cup strapped 
to his waist, an extra pair of boots, (Esquimaux,) a Lady Franklin gun, 
and a Danish rifle. The tent weighed twenty-six pounds. 
Our course lay due east, but from this we were obliged to deviate on 
meeting the inlet at the termination of the bay. We followed the 
course of a ravine, which afforded us a more level track, and encamped 
about eight miles from the brig, beside a small stream, which opened 
into a plain half a mile long by about a hundred yards broad, and 
covered with rich grass. One hare was seen during our march, and I 
observed a few single specimens of a saxifrage still in full bloom. A 
heath—Andromeda tetragona—which grew luxuriantly about the rocks 
and protected places afforded us a plentiful supply of fuel; and, had it 
not been completely saturated with snow, would have made us an admi¬ 
rable fire. At 11 T. M. our thermometer showed +17°.4 Fahrenheit. 
September 9, Friday.—Set out at eleven o’clock, having first ascended 
the highest bluff within reach, from which I could sight the headlands 
of the bay, for the purpose of connecting our route with them and 
with the plateau beyond. We therefore travelled as nearly duo east as 
the winding path among the rough syenitic bluffs would allow. We 
reached the base of the greenstone debris, and ascended it, at an angle 
of from 25° to 30°, to an elevation nearly equal to that of the head 
land before mentioned. A half mile brought us to the termination of 
a talus, which seemed to be succeeded by another beyond, and above a 
partially broken-down escarpment. We encamped in a gorge at 8.30 
r.M., having travelled by rude estimate fifteen miles. A hare shot b^ 
