degrees; the fresh water we had left at five miles from the island 55
degrees; and that of the air 52 degrees.

Garry Island is about five miles long, by two broad, and seems to be a
mass of frozen mud, which, in the parts exposed to the air and sun, has
a black earthy appearance. It is terminated to the north-west by a steep
cliff, through which protrude, in a highly inclined position, several
layers of wood-coal, similar to that found in the Mackenzie. There was
likewise observed a bituminous liquid trickling down in many parts, but
particularly near the south-west point of the cliff where the bank had
been broken away, and a hollow cavity was formed. The ravines and
gullies were still filled with ice, though none was seen on the level
ground. There were no stones above the sea level; those on the beach
consisted of granite, greenstone, quartz, and lydian-stone, of a small
size and completely rounded. The vegetable productions were grasses, a
few mosses, and some shrubs, the latter in flower. Four foxes were the
only land animals we saw; and a small hawk, some gulls, dotterels, and
phaleropes, composed the list of birds. A large medusa was found on the
beach.

[Sidenote: Wednesday, 17th.] The sky was cloudless on the morning of the
17th, which enabled us to ascertain the position of our encampment to be
in latitude 69 degrees 29 minutes N., longitude 135 degrees 41 minutes
W., and the variation of the magnetic needle to be 51 degrees 42 minutes
E. We likewise found that it was high water that day at one P.M. with a
rise and fall of eight inches, but the direction of the flood could not
be ascertained. I wrote for Captain Parry an account of our progress,
with such information as he might require, in case he wished to
communicate either with the Company's Post at Fort Good Hope, or our
party, and deposited my letter, with many others that I had in charge
for himself and the officers of the ships, under a pole erected for the
purpose, on which we left a blue and red flag flying, to attract his
attention. Another statement of our proceedings was encased in a
waterproof box, and committed to the sea, a mile to the northward of the
island. The wind blew strong off the land at the time, and there was a
gale from the north-west the next day, so that there is every chance of
the letter having made good way to the eastward.

Having completed the observations, we embarked at two P.M., and pulled
along the western shore of the