then hastened to escape from this ill-omened
island. The boats were pulled to seaward, so as to gain a sufficient
offing for them to pass on the outside of the shallow water; and by the
aid of the oars and sails we made good progress, and encamped within
sight of Flaxman Island. A black whale, a seal of the largest kind, and
numerous flocks of geese were seen in the course of this day. Several
stars were visible after ten P.M. [Sidenote: Tuesday, 22nd.] Showers of
snow fell during the night, but the morning of the 22nd was calm and
clear. We embarked at daylight, and in the course of three hours arrived
abreast of the east end of Flaxman Island. The ice had broken from the
northern shore during our absence, and was now lying about a mile from
the land, apparently aground on reefs, as we had observed it to be along
the outer border of the one at the west end of the island. The water was
much deeper between Flaxman Island and the main than when we passed in
the early part of August. Eastward of Point Brownlow there was an open
channel of three or four miles wide. And by keeping close to the borders
of the drift ice we avoided the shallows at the mouth of the Canning
River, and arrived at Boulder Island about noon. Here we found an
Esquimaux grave, containing three bodies, covered with drift timber, and
by their side there were placed the canoes, arrows, and fishing
implements of the deceased. Not being able to procure fresh water here,
we set forward to cross Camden Bay, touched at one of the points to fill
the water-casks, and reached Barter Island after dark; the crews much
fatigued, having been pulling for nineteen hours. We regretted to find
the Esquimaux had visited this spot during our absence, and carried away
the gun and ammunition which had been left by mistake at the encampment
on the 4th of August, because we were not only apprehensive that some
accident might have occurred in the attempt to discharge the gun, but
were desirous to prevent the introduction of fire-arms among these
people. [Sidenote: Wednesday, 23rd.] Being now near the point of the
coast at which we had seen a considerable number of the natives, we
remained at the encampment until ten o'clock on the morning of the 23d,
to clean the guns and issue a fresh supply of ammunition to the party.
The day was calm and cloudless; the whole range of the Romanzoff
Mountains was in sight, and they appeared to be more covered with snow
than when we passed to th