372 
APPENDIX NO. Y. 
Between the seventh cape mentioned above, and the next point of 
land to the south, is a bay which I was at first inclined to believe 
might be a channel opening to the westward; but as the fog cleared 
away I could distinctly see the land around the greater part of its 
margin, which convinced me it was only a deep bay having a narrow 
entrance. I had no means whereby to determine the true bearing of 
the land from this point, and in projecting the chart could only place 
it in connection with my last positively-determined position and Cape 
Sabine, previously the most northern determined point of land. To-day 
I called into requisition the pair of old Esquimaux boots which I had 
already anticipated might prove serviceable. By cutting them into 
strips, and mixing with them a little of the lard we had for our lamp, 
the hungry animals made quite a hearty meal. 
May 31.—Soon after leaving this station we encountered ridges of 
hummocks which materially interrupted our progress; but they were 
neither so high nor difficult to pass as those farther up the channel. 
We had, however, comparatively smooth travelling, the hummocks 
being about twenty miles from the west shore. This smooth floe seems 
to be continuous along the shore to the bluff where I effected my first 
landing, at which place it runs to a point. 
Our course across the channel was as near S.E. as the sluggishness 
of the compass and the motion of the ice would allow. As we were 
enveloped in a dense fog, the compass was our only guide. At 6 p.m. 
the land began to loom up through the fog, and I soon determined it 
to be Esquimaux Point. We then shaped our course more to the 
northward, and at 10 P.M. made the land-ice on the north side of 
Bedevilled Reach. 
We gave the dogs the shakings of the bread-bag and the scrapings 
of the lard-cloth, mixed up with scraps of a pair of skin mittens, and 
some strips cut from the lower extremities of our pantaloons. 
June 1.—We continued pushing our way along the shore without 
halting, and reached the vessel at 1 A.M. 
In our journey down the west coast but two icebergs were seen, and 
none in crossing the channel until we came within eight miles of the 
east coast. The belt seems to hug the eastern shore and to widen and 
thicken as you advance up the channel, being eight miles in width at 
Force Bay. 
Very little animal life was seen. We discovered foot-tracks of 
several bears, but came in contact with none. Foot-marks of fox and 
ptarmigan were seen at different points along the west coast, and 
