My latitude of the Castor and Pollux is
sixty-eight degrees twenty-eight minutes
thirty-seven seconds, west; agreeing within
a quarter of a mile with that of Simpson;
but our longitudes differ considerably, his
being ninety-four degrees fourteen minutes
west, whilst mine was ninety-three degrees
forty-two minutes west. My longitude is
nearly intermediate between that of Simpson
and Sir George Back, supposing the latter to
have carried on his survey eastward from
Montreal Island. A number of rocky elevations
to the north of the river were mistaken
by Simpson for islands, and named by him
the Committee.

Having spent upwards of an hour in fruitless
search for a memorandum of some kind,
we began to retrace our steps; and after a
most fatiguing march of fifteen hours, during
which we walked at least thirty miles, we
arrived at the snow-hut of the men left
behind. They had shot nothing, and had not
collected sufficient andromeda for cooking,
but had been compelled to use some grease.
The frost-bitten man could scarcely move.

Early on the morning of the twenty-ninth,
during a heavy fall of snow, we set out for
the mouth of the river, which was named in
honour of Sir Frederick Murchison, the late
President of the Royal Geographical Society;
and after losing our way occasionally in
attempting to make short cuts, we arrived at
Cache Island, so named from an Esquimaux
cache that was on it, within two miles of the
sea, at eight A.M., and stopped there, as it
blew a gale with drift.

As soon as we got shelter, and had supped,
preparations were made for starting in the
evening for Bellot Strait. An ample stock of
provisions and fuel for twenty-two days were
placed on two of our best sledges, and I
hauled on my own small sledge my
instruments, books, bedding, &c., as usual.

On the evening of the twenty-ninth, the
weather was so stormy, that although we were
prepared to start at eight o'clock, we could
not get away until past two on the following
morning, when after travelling little more than
five miles, a heavy fall of snow and strong
wind caused us again to take shelter.

Our advance was so much impeded by thick
weather and soft snow, that we did not arrive
within a few miles of Cape Porter of Sir John
Ross, until the sixth of May. In doing this
we had traversed a bay, the head of which
was afterwards found to extend as far north
as latitude sixty-eight degrees four minutes
north. Point Sir H. Dryden, its western
boundary, is in latitude sixty-eight degrees
forty-four minutes north, longitude ninety-
four degrees west. To this bay, the name of
Shepherd was given, in honour of the Deputy
Governor of the Honourable Hudson's Bay
Company, and an island near its head, was
called Bence Jones, after the distinguished
medical man and analytical chemist of that name
to whose kindness I and my party were much
indebted, for having proposed the use and
prepared some extract of tea, for the expedition.

This article we found extremely portable,
and as the tea could be made without boiling
water, we often enjoyed a cup of that refreshing
beverage, when otherwise from want of
fuel, we must have been satisfied with cold
water.

From Point Dryden, the coast which is low
and stony, runs in a succession of small points
and bays about ten miles nearly due west,
then turns sharply up to the north in latitude
sixty-eight degrees forty-five minutes north,
longitude ninety-four degrees twenty-seven
minutes fifty seconds west, which was
ascertained by observations obtained on an island
near the shore. The point was called Cape
Colvile, after the Governor of the Company,
and the island, Stanley. To the west, at the
distance of seven or eight miles, land was seen,
which received the appellation of Matheson
Island, as a mark of respect to one of the
Directors of the Company.

Our snow-hut on the sixth of May, situate
on Pointe de la Guiche was by good observations
found to be in latitude sixty-eight
degrees fifty-seven minutes fifty-two seconds
north, longitude ninety-four degrees twenty-
two minutes fifty-eight seconds west. One of
my men, Mistegan, an Indian of great
intelligence and activity, was sent six miles farther
along the coast northwards; by ascending
some rough ice at its extreme point, he could
see about five miles farther, the land was still
trending northward, whilst to the north-west,
at a considerable distance, perhaps twelve or
fourteen miles, there was an appearance of
land, the channel between which and the point
where he stood, being full of rough ice. This
land, if it was such, is probably part of Matty
Island, or King William's Land, which latter
is also clearly an island.

I am happy to say that on this present, as
on a former, occasion, where my survey met
that of Sir James C. Ross, a very singular
agreement exists, considering the
circumstances under which our surveys have been
taken.

The foggy and snowy weather, which
continued upwards of four days, had occasioned
the loss of so much time, that, although I
could easily have completed a part (perhaps
the half) of the survey of the coast, between
the Magnetic Pole and Bellot Strait, or
Brentford Bay, I could not do the whole without
great risk to my party, and I therefore
decided upon returning.

Having taken possession of our discoveries
in the usual form, and built a cairn, we
commenced our return on the night of the sixth.
Having fine, clear weather, we made long
marches, and at Shepherd Bay, having got rid
of the sledge, which I had hitherto hauled, I
detached myself from the party, and
examined the bay within a mile or two of
the shore, whilst my men took a straighter
route.