676 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
weather-cock was, to see how the wind blew on the top of the 
hill, as, according to the opinion of Capt. Ross, a true judgment 
of it could not be formed on the beach ; and by the use of the 
- elescope, the exact point could be determined, whenever the 
weather-cock was visible, which, unluckily for the projector, 
was not always the case. 
During the time that they lay in Batty Bay, the carpenters 
were busily employed in caulking and raising the boats ten 
inches fore and aft, but in midships they were canvassed and 
laced. A great number of dovekies were shot, for they were 
so numerous, that two of the crew were only absent from the 
tents two hours, and brought home fifty. It must, how ever, be 
observed, that as long as there were any dovekies to be had, 
the men were not allowed any preserved meats, giving them 
instead, a dovekey or a dovekey and a half. The allowance of 
preserved meats was four lbs. per day, amongst six, and to 
each man a pound of bread, which by the men was considered 
a very fair allowance. 
A considerable number of foxes were shot; but although 
at Fury Beach they felt no objection to partake of a leg of 
reynard’s body, they now turned up their noses at it, for at 
best it was but carrion, and not to be put in competition with 
the sweet wholesome flesh of the dovekies. Several bears were 
also seen, and that was all, for they kept at too great a dis¬ 
tance for the bullet to reach them. 
Not a day elapsed that a man was not sent up to the summit 
of the weather-cock mountain, to take a survey of the condition 
of the ice, hoping to see clear water to the north-east; but 
although large patches of water were seen, yet it was by no 
means in a state for the navigation of such frail vessels, in 
which they wmuld be obliged to embark, and to which, if any 
accident happened, their situation would be the very extreme 
of misery and hopelessness. 
Batty Bay lies about 31 miles north-east of Fury Beach, and 
about 44 from Monument Beach, which is about two miles and 
a half from Leopold’s Island. A party was sent over to the 
opposite side of the bay, for the purpose cf building a raonu* 
