YAGE

FOR THE DISCOVERY OF A

NORTHWEST PASSAGE.

CONTINUED.

CHAPTER X.

Departure from Winter Island.--Meet with some Esquimaux travelling
to the Northward.--Obstruction and Danger from the Ice and
Tides.--Discovery of the Barrow River, and its Fall.--Favourable
Passage to the Northward.--Arrival off the Strait of the Fury and
Hecla.--Progress opposed by a fixed barrier of Ice.--Communicate
with the Natives of Igloolik.--Unsuccessful Attempt to get between
the Ice and the Land--Land upon the Calthorpe Islands.--The Fury
drifted by the Ice between two Islands.--Account of a Journey
performed in Sledges up an Inlet to the westward.

The gale, which had for some time been blowing from the northward,
veered to the N.W.b.W., and increased in strength on the 1st of July,
which soon began to produce the effect of drifting the ice off the land.
At six o'clock on the 2d, the report from the hill being favourable, and
the wind and weather now also sufficiently so, we moved out of our
winter's dock, which was, indeed, in part broken to pieces by the swell
that had lately set into the bay. At seven we made sail, with a fresh
breeze from W.N.W., and having cleared the rocks at the entrance of the
bay, ran quickly to the northward and eastward. The ice in the offing
was of the "hummocky" kind, and drifting rapidly about with the tides,
leaving us a navigable channel varying in width from two miles to three
or four hundred yards.

The closeness of the ice again obliging us to make fast on the 3d, we
soon after perceived a party of people with a sledge upon the land-floe.
I therefore sent Mr. Bushnan, with some of our men, to meet them and to
bring them on board, being desirous of ascertaining whereabout,
according to their geography, we now were. We found the party to
consist, as we expected, of those who had taken leave of us forty days
before on their departure to the northward, and who now readily
accompanied our people to the ships; leaving only Togolat's idiot-boy by
the sledge, tying him to a dog and the dog to the ice. As soon as they
came under the bows, they halted in a line, and, according to their
former promise, gave three cheers, which salutation a few of us on the
forecastle did not fail to return. As soon as they got on board they
expressed extreme joy at seeing us again, repeated each of our names
with great earnestness, and were, indeed, much gratified