cks on the sea, and
passed the evening in talking over their past adventures with much humour
and no little exaggeration. The consideration that the most painful, and
certainly the most hazardous, part of the journey was yet to come did not
depress their spirits at all. It is due to their character to mention
that they displayed much courage in encountering the dangers of the sea,
magnified to them by their novelty.

The shores between Cape Barrow and Cape Flinders, including the extensive
branches of Arctic and Melville Sounds and Bathurst's Inlet, may be
comprehended in one great gulf which I have distinguished by the
appellation of George IV's Coronation Gulf in honour of His Most Gracious
Majesty, the latter name being added to mark the time of its discovery.
The archipelago of islands which fringe the coast from Copper-Mine River
to Point Turnagain I have named in honour of His Royal Highness the Duke
of York.

It may be deserving of notice that the extremes in temperature of the
seawater during our voyage were 53 and 35 degrees, but its general
temperature was between 43 and 48 degrees. Throughout our return from
Point Turnagain we observed that the sea had risen several feet above
marks left at our former encampments. This may perhaps be attributed to
the north-west gales.

August 26.

Previous to our departure this morning an assortment of iron materials,
beads, looking-glasses, and other articles were put up in a conspicuous
situation for the Esquimaux and the English Union was planted on the
loftiest sandhill where it might be seen by any ships passing in the
offing. Here also was deposited in a tin box a letter containing an
outline of our proceedings, the latitude and longitude of the principal
places, and the course we intended to pursue towards Slave Lake.

Embarking at eight A.M. we proceeded up the river which is full of sandy
shoals but sufficiently deep for canoes in the channels. It is from one
hundred to two hundred yards wide and is bounded by high and steep banks
of clay. We encamped at a cascade of eighteen or twenty feet high which
is produced by a ridge of rock crossing the river and the nets were set.
A mile below this cascade Hood's River is joined by a stream half its own
size which I have called James' Branch. Bear and deer tracks had been
numerous on the banks of the river when we were here before but not a
single recent one was to be seen at this time. Credit however killed a
small d