The least depth ascertained by the lead since our
departure from the river was six fathoms, and any ship might pass safely
between the islands and the main. The water is of a light green colour
but not very clear and much less salt than that of the Atlantic, judging
from our recollection of its taste. In the course of the day we saw geese
and ducks with their young and two deer, and experienced very great
variations of temperature from the light breezes blowing alternately from
the ice and the land. The name of Lawford's Islands was bestowed on a
group we passed in the course of the day as a mark of my respect for
Vice-Admiral Lawford, under whose auspices I first entered the naval
service.
A fresh breeze blowing through the night had driven the ice from the land
and opened a channel of a mile in width; we therefore embarked at nine
A.M. to pursue our journey along the coast but, at the distance of nine
miles were obliged to seek shelter in Port Epworth, the wind having
become adverse and too strong to admit of our proceeding. The Tree River
of the Esquimaux which discharges its waters into this bay appears to be
narrow and much interrupted by rapids. The fishing-nets were set but
obtained only one white-fish and a few bull-heads. This part of the coast
is the most sterile and inhospitable that can be imagined. One trap-cliff
succeeds another with tiresome uniformity and their debris cover the
narrow valleys that intervene, to the exclusion of every kind of herbage.
From the summit of these cliffs the ice appeared in every direction.
We obtained the following observations during our stay: latitude 67
degrees 42 minutes 15 seconds North, longitude 112 degrees 30 minutes 00
seconds West, variation 47 degrees 37 minutes 42 seconds East.
The wind abating, at eight P.M. we reembarked and soon afterwards
discovered on an island a reindeer, which the interpreters fortunately
killed. Resuming our voyage we were much impeded by the ice and at
length, being unable to force a passage through a close stream that had
collected round a cape, we put ashore at four A.M. On the 24th several
stone fox-traps and other traces of the Esquimaux were seen near the
encampment. The horizontal refraction varied so much this morning that
the upper limb of the sun twice appeared at the horizon before it finally
rose.
For the last two days the water rose and fell about nine inches. The
tides however seemed to be very irregular and we could not determine the
direction of the ebb or flood.
