is day were north-east sixteen miles and a half. I may here mention,
that Arctic Sound appeared the most convenient, and perhaps the best
place for ships to anchor that we had seen along the coast; at this
season especially, when they might increase their stock of provision, if
provided with good marksmen. Deer are numerous in its vicinity,
musk-oxen also may be found up Hood's River, and the fine sandy bottom
of the bays promises favourably for fishing with the seine. The hills on
the western side are even in their outline and slope gradually to the
water's edge. The rocks give place to an alluvial sandy soil, towards
the bottom of the Sound; but on Banks' Peninsula rocky eminences again
prevail, which are rugged and uneven, but intersected by valleys, at
this time green; along their base is a fine sandy beach. From Point
Wollaston to our encampment the coast is skirted with trap cliffs, which
have often a columnar form, and are very difficult of access. These
cliffs lie in ranges parallel to the shore, and the deer that we killed
were feeding in small marshy grassy plats that lie in the valleys
between them.

Being detained by the continuance of the gale, on the 2d of August some
men were sent out to hunt, and the officers visited the tops of the
highest hills, to ascertain the best channels to be pursued. The wind
abating, at ten P.M., we embarked and paddled round the southern end of
the island, and continued our course to the south-east. Much doubt at
this time prevailed as to the land on the right being the main shore, or
merely a chain of islands. The latter opinion was strengthened by the
broken appearance of the land, and the extensive view we had up Brown's
Channel, (named after my friend Mr. Robert Brown,) the mouth of which we
passed, and were in some apprehension of being led away from the main
shore; and, perhaps, after passing through a group of islands, of coming
to a traverse greater than we durst venture upon in canoes: on the other
hand, the continuous appearance of the land on the north side of the
channel, and its tending to the southward excited the fear that we were
entering a deep inlet.

In this state of doubt we landed often, and endeavoured, from the
summits of the highest hills adjoining the shore, to ascertain the true
nature of the coast, but in vain, and we continued paddling through the
channel all night against a fresh breeze, which, at half-past four,
increased to a violent gale, and c