ackened the edge of the floe for miles. I had
seen, on the coast of Peru, near the great Guano mines, what I thought
was an inconceivable number of birds congregated together; but they
were as nothing compared with the myriads that we disturbed in our
passage, and their stupid tameness would have enabled us to kill as
many as we pleased.

On August 13th, Cape York being well in sight, Penny's brigs were again
in view; and whilst the "Intrepid" and "Assistance," with the "Prince
Albert," communicated with the natives of Cape York, the "Pioneer"
pushed on, and soon passed the brigs, who, although they knew full well
that the late arrivals from England had letters for them, were to be
seen pushing tooth and nail, to get to the westward.

Slow--as slow as possible--we steamed all day along the "Crimson Cliffs
of Beverley." The interview with the natives of Cape York, alas! was to
cost us much. My frame of mind at the time was far from heavenly; for
"Large Water" was ahead, our squadron many a long mile from its work;
and I was neither interested, at the time, in Arctic Highlanders or
"Crimson Snow!" In the evening the "Assistance" joined us; and I was
told that "important information had been gained." We were to turn
back; and the "Intrepid" went in chase of Penny, to get the aid of his
interpreter, Mr. Petersen.

I remember being awoke at six o'clock on the morning of the 14th of
August, and being told a hobgoblin story, which made me rub my eyes,
and doubt my own hearing. What I thought of it is neither here nor
there. Suffice it that Adam Beck--may he be branded for a
liar!--succeeded, this day, in misleading a large number of Her
Majesty's officers (as his attested document proves), and in detaining,
for two days, the squadrons in search of Franklin. No one with common
perception, who witnessed the interview on our deck between Mr.
Petersen, Adam Beck, and our new shipmate, the Esquimaux from Cape
York, could fail to perceive that Mr. P. and the Cape York native
understood one another much better than the latter could the vile Adam
Beck; and had I had any doubts upon the subject, they would have been
removed when I learnt that Petersen had seen and communicated with
these very natives before our squadron came up, and that no such bloody
tale had been told him; in fact, it was the pure coinage of Adam Beck's
brain, cunningly devised to keep, at any rate, his own ship on a coast
whither he could escape to the neighbour