variation 16° 20′ West. Here, as indeed wherever we landed, appeared old stone circles, traps and caches, bnt no recent traces of inhabitants were discoverable.
The strong wind, that had forbidden our advance, gave wings to our retreat, and bore us the same night back to Cape Britannia. Early next morning we stood out direct for Point Ogle; but, the wind shifting more to the north, we were only able—though carrying sail till the old boats creaked again—to make Point Pechell, which we reached in four hours and a half, the width of the inlet being eighteen miles. Poor Ooligbuck and Hope suffered severely in the heavy sea; and it must not be supposed that our crews, though good and true men in their way, were all good sailors. Besides the steersmen, we had, in fact, but two Europeans in each boat, entitled to the name; the remaining six, comprising a Canadian, an Iroquois, a Cree, two Hare Indians, and an Esquimaux, knew about as much of handling a sail, as they did of geography or geology.
On the 22nd, cutting off Point Ogle by making a portage over a narrow neck of sand, we turned down a deep inlet, thinking it might possibly communicate with Wilmot and Crampton Bay, on the western side of the peninsula, which we
