Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p1.djvu/71

 “At the end of a mile in that direction.” continues he, “we were stopped by the ice being unbroken from the shore, and closely packed to seaward. Since the day after our departure from the Mackenzie, when we first came to the ice, we had not witnessed a more unfavorable prospect than that before us. No water was to he seen, either from the tents, which were pitched about thirty feet above the horizon, or from the different points of the island which we visited. We were now scantily supplied with fuel, the drift timber being covered by the ice high up the bank, except just where the boats had landed. In the evening a gale came on from the east, and blew throughout the following day: we vainly hoped this would produce some favorable change. The position of our encampment was in lat. 70&deg; 11' N., long. 145&deg; 50' W.

“The easterly gale gave place to a calm, on the morning of the 7th; and as this change, though it produced no effect in loosening the ice to the northward, caused more water to flow into the channel between the island and the main, we succeeded with little difficulty in crossing the flats that had before impeded us. Beyond this bar, the water gradually deepened to three fathoms; and, a favorable breeze springing up, we steered for the outer point of land in sight. The main shore, to the westward of Flaxman Island, is so low that it cannot be seen at the distance of a league, with the exception of three small hummocks, which look like islands.

“Our course was continued until we came to an island lying three miles from the shore, and which proved to be connected with it by a reef, fordable at low water. Dazzled by the glare of the sun in our eyes, the surf on this reef was mistaken for a ripple of the tide; and, although the sails were lowered as a precautionary measure, we wore so near before the mistake was discovered, that the strength of the wind drove the Lion aground, by which accident she took in much water. The exertions of the crew soon got her afloat, and both boats were then rowed to windward: the sails were then set, close-reefed, and we stood along the weather shore, looking out for a favorable landing place, that we might obtain shelter from the approaching storm, which the appearance of the sky indicated; and also to repair the damage which the Lion had sustained. At length, some posts, erected by the Esquimaux on a point of land, denoted an approachable part, and we effected a landing after carrying part of the cargoes 200 yards through the water. By midnight we were prepared to go forward; but were prevented front moving by a very thick fog, which continued till eleven on the morning of the 8th, when it cleared away for the space of two hours, and enabled us to perceive that the ice, which, in the preceding evening, had been observed at a considerable distance from the land, was now tossing about, in large masses, close to the border of the shallow water. we were also enabled, during this short interval of clear weather, to ascertain the latitude. 70&deg; 16' 27" N., and longitude, 117&deg; 38' 20" W. At this encampment we remarked the first instance of regularity in the tide. It was low water at 9-30 on the 7th, and high