e being very hard,
brittle, and transparent; more so, as we imagined, than salt-water
ice usually is, which made us the more desirous to get through it.
I therefore determined to return to our people, and to remove our
encampment hither, for the purpose of completing the hole through
the ice with all our hands, while we were obtaining the necessary
observations on shore.

On our return to the tents, we dined, and rested till one o'clock
on the morning of the 7th, when we set out for the point, at which
we did not arrive till half past four, the snow being here so deep
as to make the cart an improper, and, indeed, almost impracticable
mode of conveying our baggage. It froze all day in the shade, with
a fresh breeze from the north; and, though the tents were pitched
under the lee of the grounded ice upon the beach, we found it
extremely cold; all the pools of water were frozen hard during the
night, and, some of our canteens burst from the same cause. The
people were allowed to rest after their supper till four P.M., and
were then set to work upon the ice and in building a monument on
the top of the Point.

We dined at midnight; and at half past one A.M. on the 8th struck
the tents, and drew the cart to the higher part of the Point,
where we occupied two hours in completing our monument, which is
of a conical form, twelve feet broad at the base, and as many in
height. Within it were deposited a tin cylinder, containing an
account of the party who had left it, and one or two silver and
copper English coins. This monument may be seen at several miles'
distance from the sea or land side; and, as great pains were taken
by Mr. Fisher in constructing it, it may probably last for a long
period of years.

Having now satisfactorily determined the extent of Melville Island
to the northward upon this meridian, which corresponds very nearly
with that of Winter Harbour, and finished all the requisite
observations, I proposed pursuing our journey towards the Blue
Hills, which were still in sight at the distance of several
leagues to the westward; and, having advanced to the southwest as
long as circumstances should appear to make it interesting or
practicable, to return by a circuitous route to the ships. We
travelled in a W.1/2S. direction, in order to keep on a ridge along
the coast, which afforded the only tolerable walking, the snow
being very deep on the lower parts of the land. We halted at half
past seven A.M., on a fine s