on as begun, but in the popular acceptation of the word it
certainly had not. Such was the state of things on shore at the
conclusion of the month of May. Upon the ice appearances were not
more promising. Except in the immediate neighbourhood of the
ships, where, from the constant trampling and the laying of
various stores upon the ice, some heat had artificially been
absorbed, it would have been difficult to point out in what
respect any advances towards dissolution had been made upon the
upper surface, where six or seven inches of snow yet remained in
every part. Here again, without any undue partiality for our old
winter-quarters, it was natural, as well as reasonable, to bear in
mind, that before this time we had there experienced several hours
of hard rain, than which nothing proves more effectual in
dissolving the ice. The consequence was, that for the last week in
May, at Melville Island, the surface of the ice had assumed quite
a green appearance; while here it was still as white as a covering
of snow could make it.

Under these circumstances I came to the determination, now that
the ships were ready for sea, to try what could be effected
towards their release, by sawing and cutting the ice; for it was
vexatious to see open water daily in the offing, and not to be
able to take advantage of it. Arrangements were therefore made for
getting everything, except the tent and instruments, on board the
next day, and for commencing this more laborious occupation on the
following Monday.

On the 1st of June, having launched a boat at the mouth of the
bay, I went to sound in that neighbourhood and along the eastern
side of the island, preparatory to marking out the intended canal.
A good deal of ice still remained attached to the land; but as far
as we could distinguish to the N.N.E. there was a lane of clear
water wide enough for the navigation of the ships.

On the morning of the 3d, at six A.M., both the ships' companies,
under their respective officers, were set to work upon the ice. A
line was accurately marked out from each of the Fury's quarters,
where they were fifty feet apart, diverging to two hundred and
fifty at the edge of the floe, the latter being distant from the
ships two thousand and twenty feet, or just one third of a
nautical mile. It was proposed to make a cut through the ice with
the saws, along the two lines thus marked out, and then a
transverse section here and there, the divergency of the sid