'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎48] (159/258)

48
DR. G. BUIST
of Wales Inlet, (see ante p. 43) whither he had pursued the track of
Captain McClure at the interval of a twelve month, and then found himself
compelled to return. The account of the voyage is so concisely narrated in
the China Mail of the 2nd November that I give it in slightly altered form
below :—
“ After completing provisions and stores,we sailed fromHongkong on the2nfl
April 1851, and reached the Bonin Islands on the 28th, sailed again on May 6th,
entered Behring’s sea on the 23rd, and fell in with the whaling fleet at the
edge of the ice, in latitude 60° N. longitude 179 W., on the 31st. Taking
the pack, we pushed through the ice, saw Cape Behrings on June 11th, and
got into land water under Cape Tchutskoi on the 22nd. In crossing over to
the American continent, we were again beset, and carried North of the Dio
mede Islands, arriving in Port Clarence on July 3rd. Here we communicated
with the Plover. Sailing on the 10th, Point Hope was passed on the 15th,
Icy Cape on the 18th ; and on the 20th, when off the Seahorse Islands, were
caught in the back, and carried round Point Barrow on the 25th, but readied
open water near Point Tangent on the 31st. Then pursuing our course be
tween the American continent and the ice, we passed Point Manning on Au
gust 18th. Cape Parry was seen on the 26th, and the same evening land to
the North, enclosing it, a Strait was entered on the 29th, and on an Island
were found a boat and some provisions deposited by the Investigator, which
vessel it appeared had wintered in the pack four miles N. E. of the depot
Pursuing our course, we reached the north end of the Strait on the 30th'
when our progress easterly was blocked by field ice. Returning through the
Prince of Wales Strait, we rounded Cape Erebus (the south point of Bar-
mg s Land) on September 2nd, and tracing the coast-line north, found a cask
with information from the Investigator fateA August 18th, 1851, in lat 72 N
long. 125*45 W Continuing on to the northward, provisions were deposited
on an Islet m lat 72.55N., long. 12.10 W., but finding noplace sufficiently
protected for winter quarters, we returned to the entrance of the Prince of
Wales Strait and vvintered in a sound on Prince Albert’s Land in lat. 71.35
PM., long. 117.35 W.
c A A , Pri V h T + u traVelling parties left > one tracing Prince Albert’s Land
southerly, found the coast trend to the eastward in lat. 70.39 N., in which
se^n bntnoT^IfT t0 /° ng ; * 12-35 W., whence the southern shore was
seen, but no land to the eastward. Here a large party of natives were met
a,.d on an islet in 70.34 N., and 115.20 W.. a notice Lm the LZtLalHA
Cen SeK day s year "' aS f ° Und - T1 ' iS Party retUmed on May 30ll >> ha ™S
the^ne&thfcK
southerly eventuaUy reaching lat. 72.44 N, long. 113.45 VV., and returned to
e ship after 5 l days absence. The other struck across for Melville Island
3 n rre\Tii» assab - ie f r be si ^>
Cape Paas^ssion^whence'so'me'^of the n party 1 tnive V lled7lonathe r co aC ^ S ’ r f4d led
were within four miles of Point Hearnf TheT^
after an absence of 11 days, but some of the crew suffering from frost-bite’s ^lll
not reach the ship until June 28th, being absent 74 days. S Iromlrost bltcs ’ dKi