us, and ready
to commence the laborious march across the barren grounds, with the same
spirit that they had shown in overcoming the obstacles which presented
themselves to their progress by sea. We all felt that the comfort and
ease with which the voyage had been performed, were greatly owing to the
judicious and plentiful provision of stores and food which Captain
Franklin had made for us; and gratitude for his care mingling with the
pleasure excited by our success, and directing our thoughts more
strongly to his party, the most ardent wishes were expressed that they
might prove equally fortunate. The correctness of Mr. Kendall's
reckoning was another source of pleasure. Having been deprived of the
aid of chronometers, by the breaking of the two intended for the eastern
detachment of the Expedition, during the intense winter cold, our only
resource for correcting the dead reckoning was lunar observations, made
as frequently as opportunities offered; yet when we approached the
Coppermine River, Mr. Kendall's reckoning differed from the position of
that place, ascertained on Captain Franklin's former Expedition, only
twenty seconds of time, or about two miles and a half of distance, which
is a very trifling difference when the length of the voyage and the
other circumstances are taken into consideration. The distance between
Point Separation and the mouth of the Coppermine River, by the route we
pursued, is nine hundred and two geographical miles.

In our progress along the coast no opportunity was omitted of noting the
times of high-water, and a tide-table drawn up by Mr. Kendall, is given
in pages 236, 237. We nowhere observed the rise of the tide to exceed
twenty-two inches, and in some places it was not more than eight or
nine; but the velocity of the flood and ebb was greater than could have
been expected from so small a rise. Off the Alluvial Islands, lying
between the outlets of the Mackenzie River and Esquimaux Lake, it was in
the strength of the flood about a mile an hour; at Cape Bathurst it
exceeded a mile and a half; and in the Dolphin and Union Straits it was
fully three miles. The stream of the flood set every where from the
eastward.

The variation of the magnetic needle, which was forty-six degrees
easterly at Point Separation, attained to 50 degrees at Refuge Cove, 53
degrees at Point Maitland, and 56 degrees at Cape Parry; after which it
gradually decreased as we went to the south-east; and at the mout