\

NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA.

of the rifing of the water. At eight in the morning the weather was

1 89.
yu.

63

fine and calm, which afforded an opportunity to examine the nets, one —~——

of which had been driven from its pofition by the wind and current.
We caught feven poiffons inconnus, which were unpalatable; a white
fifh, that proved delicious; and another about the fize of an herring,
which none of us had ever feen before, except the Englifh chief, who
recognized it as being of a kind that abounds in Hudfon’s Bay. About
noon the wind blew hard from the Weftward, when I took an obfer-
vation, which gave 69. 14. North latitude, and the meridian variation of
the compafs was thirty-fix degrees Eaftward*.

This afternoon I re-afcended the hill, but could not difcover that the
ice had been put in motion by the force of the wind. At the fame time
I could juft diftinguifh two {mall iflands.in the ice, to the North-Weft
by compafs. I now thought it neceflary to give a new net to my men
to mount, in order to obtain as much provifion as poffible from the
water, our flores being reduced to about five hundred weight, which,
without any other fupply, would not have fufficed for fifteen people
above twelve days. One of the young Indians, however, was fo fortu-
nate as to find the net that had been miffing, and which contained three

‘of the poifions inconnus.

It blew very hard from the North-Weft fince the preceding evening. Tuefday 14.

Having fat up till three in the morning, I flept longer than ufual; but
about eight one of my men faw a great many animals in the water, which

* The longitude has fince been difcovered by the dead reckoning to be 195. Welt.