ering about on his return, evidently proud
of his gayer appearance.

[Sidenote: Friday, 25th.] The morning was foggy, but there being little
wind, we launched the boats, and pulled for an hour close to the shore,
when we came to a body of ice so closely packed as scarcely to afford a
passage, and it was with difficulty that we arrived at Clarence River.
There we perceived four tents; near which we had been warned by our
visitors last night not to land, as the party had recently lost their
parents, and it was feared that, in the state of mind in which they then
were, they might be disposed to do us some injury. We pulled near enough
to inquire about the gun, and learned that the person who had it was
farther to the eastward. The difficulties of forcing a passage were not
diminished beyond this place, and we were further impeded in our
advance by new ice formed between the larger masses, which required
additional labour to break through. The fog cleared away at ten; we
halted to breakfast at Backhouse River, and remained whilst Augustus
went in pursuit of two rein-deer, one of which he killed.

Renewing our course, we passed on the outside of the ice until we were
nearly abreast of Mount Conybeare, when the wind came strong from the
eastward, and obliged us to have recourse again to its shelter. This
barrier, however, terminated at the end of five miles, and being then
exposed to the wind and swell, against which the men were unable to
pull, we encamped.

The experience we had now gained of the ice being packed upon this shore
by a wind from the sea, assured us of the correctness of the report
which the Esquimaux had given, and likewise afforded a reason for their
expression of surprise at our being unprovided with sledges, as it was
evident, unless a strong wind blew from the land, that the new ice would
soon unite the pack with the shore, and preclude the possibility of
making the passage in boats, unless by going outside of the ice, which
would be extremely hazardous, from the want of shelter in the event of a
gale springing up. The pieces of ice were generally from ten to fifteen
feet in height, many of them were from twenty to thirty feet: their
length was from twenty to one hundred yards. We saw several white whales
in the open water, and a flock of white geese at the encampment, which
were the first noticed on this coast. The rising of the wind from E.N.E.
this afternoon was accompanied by an increase of temperat