528 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
formance of the religious duties of the day: but, whiist ne was 
reading the Liturgy, he was taken so ill, that he was obliged to 
leave the cabin, appointing Mr. Thom to finish the service. In 
the afternoon, the whole crew left the ship, for the purpose of 
taking a walk, and brought home with them three fine pin-tail 
ducks; but the lakes were now getting so clear of ice, that it 
was a difficult matter to get near to the birds. 
On the 18th, the carpenter was employed caulking the top- 
sides ; the crew were put to picking oakum, and making putty, 
the stock of pitch being exhausted. Capt. Ross took a walk to 
the northward, and returned at midnight, with two grouse, two 
pin-tail ducks and a snipe. He saw two deer, but could not 
come within shot of them. 
On the 20th, some of the party arrived from North Bay, leaving 
there, Commander Ross, Mr. Mc’Diarmid, and two of the crew. 
They brought a load of fish with them, the greater part of which 
being last year’s fish, were scarcely eatable. They, however, 
brought with them thirty-one fresh ones, and Capt. Ross ordered, 
immediately, that 21bs. of the stale, and lib. of the fresh fish, 
should be distributed to every man; thereby affording an 
additional proof, that a man, who, once gets into a wrong road, 
generally perseveres in it, until he falls headlong into a slough, 
from which no power is able to extricate him. 
In the evening, the party left the ship for the bay, taking 
with them, the net; whilst the crew, on board, were employed 
in cleaning the fish, taking 180 on shore, for the purpose 
of drying them. 
On the 21st, Capt. Ross went on a shooting excursion, and 
returned on the following day, with a hare, a sand-piper, and 
a mouse ! and, on the following day, he set out again, with 
two of the crew, one of whom, he in a short time sent back, 
with a sand-piper’s nest, as well as the old bird. 
On the 22nd, Mr. Mc’Diarmid arrived on board, for the purpose 
of obtaining additional hands, to assist the party, that were on 
their way to the ship, with the load of fish, which they had 
caught. He informed Capt. Ross, that in the first haul with 
the net, they caught 500, and the second haul, 1143. The 
