water at half-past two the following morning; the rise being sixteen inches. An equally regular tide was observed on the 8th; but we could not ascertain the direction of the flood.”
Thick fogs, and heavy gales of wind, prevented the boats from finally quitting this island until the morning of the 16th; previous to which, the whole of the vegetation had assumed the autumnal tint; the temperature had fallen to 35°; and young ice had already formed on the small pools near the tents, which were previously so saturated with wet as to be very comfortless abodes, – particularly as the quantity of drift-wood would only admit of a fire being made for cooking. Captain Franklin thus describes the termination of his voyage to the westward:–
“The weather became clear, after the sun rose, on the 16th, and we embarked as soon as the flowing of the tide enabled us to launch the boats, all in the highest spirits at the prospect of escaping from this detestable island. We took advantage of the fair wind, set the sails, and steered parallel to the coast. We had never more than from three to six feet water until we passed round the reef that projects from Point Anxiety, a distance of seven miles. Between this and Point Chandos, which is eight miles further to the westward, the land was occasionally seen; but after rounding the latter point we lost sight of it, and steered to the westward, across the month of Yarborough Inlet, the soundings varying from five feet to two fathoms. The fog returned; and the wind freshening, soon created such a swell upon the flats, that it became necessary to haul further from the land; and the drift-ice beginning to close around us, we could no longer proceed with safety, and therefore endeavoured to find a landing place, but were frustrated by the shoalness of the water, and the height of the surf. the increasing violence of the gale, however, and the density of the fog, rendering it absolutely necessary for us to obtain some shelter, we stood out to seaward, with the view of making fast to a large piece of ice. In our way, we fell among gravelly reefs, and, arriving at the same time suddenly in smooth water, we effected a landing on one of them. A temporary dispersion of the fog, allowed that we were surrounded with banks, nearly on a level with the water, and protected to seaward by a large body of ice lying aground. The patch of gravel, on which we were encamped, was about 500 yards in circumference, destitute of water, and with no more drift-wood than a few willow branches, barely sufficient to make one fire.
“The period had now arrived when it was incumbent on me to consider, whether the prospect of our attaining the object of the voyage was sufficiently encouraging to warrant the exposure of the party to daily increas-