A fresh breeze blowing through the night had driven the ice from the land and opened a channel of a mile in width; we therefore embarked at nine A.M. to pursue our journey along the coast but, at the distance of nine miles were obliged to seek shelter in Port Epworth, the wind having become adverse and too strong to admit of our proceeding.  The Tree River of the Esquimaux which discharges its waters into this bay appears to be narrow and much interrupted by rapids.  The fishing-nets were set but obtained only one white-fish and a few bull-heads.  This part of the coast is the most sterile and inhospitable that can be imagined.  One trap-cliff succeeds another with tiresome uniformity and their debris cover the narrow valleys that intervene, to the exclusion of every kind of herbage.  From the summit of these cliffs the ice appeared in every direction.

We obtained the following observations during our stay:  latitude 67 degrees 42 minutes 15 seconds North, longitude 112 degrees 30 minutes 00 seconds West, variation 47 degrees 37 minutes 42 seconds East.

The wind abating, at eight P.M. we reembarked and soon afterwards discovered on an island a reindeer, which the interpreters fortunately killed.  Resuming our voyage we were much impeded by the ice and at length, being unable to force a passage through a close stream that had collected round a cape, we put ashore at four A.M.  On the 24th several stone fox-traps and other traces of the Esquimaux were seen near the encampment.  The horizontal refraction varied so much this morning that the upper limb of the sun twice appeared at the horizon before it finally rose.

For the last two days the water rose and fell about nine inches.  The tides however seemed to be very irregular and we could not determine the direction of the ebb or flood.  A current setting to the eastward was running about two miles an hour during our stay.  The ice having removed a short distance from the shore by eleven A.M. we embarked, and with some difficulty effected a passage, then, making a traverse across Gray’s Bay,* we paddled up under the eastern shore against a strong wind.  The interpreters landed here and went in pursuit of a deer but had no success.  This part of the coast is indented by deep bays which are separated by peninsulas formed like wedges, sloping many miles into the sea and joined by low land to the main, so that, often mistaking them for islands, we were led by a circuitous route round the bays.  Cliffs were numerous on the islands which were all of the trap formation.

(Footnote.  Named after Mr. Gray principal of the Belfast Academy.  An island which lies across the mouth of this bay bears the name of our English sailor Hepburn.)

At seven, a thunderstorm coming on, we encamped at the mouth of a river about eighty yards wide and set four nets.  This stream, which received the name of Wentzel after our late companion, discharges a considerable body of water.  Its banks are sandy and clothed with herbage.  The Esquimaux had recently piled up some drift timber here.  A few ducks, ravens, and snow-birds were seen today.  The distance made was thirty-one miles.