iderable way, and carrying the cargoes for a quarter of a mile
over a flat sand, we reached the shore, and pitched the tents. The
island on which we encamped was similar to the others, being from one
hundred to one hundred and fifty feet high above the water, and bounded
on all sides by steep, sandy cliffs, which were skirted by flat sands.
From the summit of the island we had the unpleasant view of a sea
covered with floating ice, as far as the eye could reach to the
eastward. Temperature during the greater part of the day 55 degrees; at
nine P.M. 52 degrees. Wind easterly. The length of this day's voyage was
thirty miles and a half; the latitude of the encampment 70 degrees 12
minutes, and longitude 129 degrees 21 minutes W.

[Sidenote: Sunday, 16th.] On the 16th the boats were afloat, and loaded
by seven in the morning, when we pulled round Cape Dalhousie, and found
the land trending as we wished to the south-east. Since reaching the
sea, the coast had gradually inclined to the northward, which with the
increased quantity of ice seen on the two or three last days, led us to
fear that a cape might exist, extending so far to the northward, as to
prevent us from reaching the Coppermine River within the period to which
our voyage was limited. It was, therefore, with peculiar satisfaction,
that, on putting ashore to cook breakfast, we saw distant land to the
S.E., apparently of greater height than that which we had recently
coasted; and we now flattered ourselves that we were about to leave
behind us the low coasts and shoals, which render the boat navigation
across the mouths of the Mackenzie and Esquimaux Lake so perplexing and
hazardous. Many deer were seen at our breakfasting-place, and the
musquitoes annoyed them so much that there would have been no difficulty
in approaching them, if we could have spared time to send out the
hunters.

Having obtained an observation for latitude, we directed our course to a
projecting point across an inlet, with no land visible towards its
bottom. The soundings in the middle of the opening exceeded nine
fathoms; the water became less salt as we advanced, and at last could
only be termed brackish. The point proved to be an Island sixteen miles
distant from our breakfasting-place; and as we approached it, we had the
mortification to perceive a coast seven or eight miles beyond it,
apparently continuous, and trending away to the north-north-west. The
island was named Nicholson Island,