Although they saw much heavy floe ice, some of it aground even in nine
fathom water, yet none of it bore marks of being more than one season
old; and from the heights of land they could discern lanes of open
water outside,--so that a ship, properly strengthened for such a
voyage, could make way through it with a favouring breeze.

Throughout the whole line of coast they had regular tides, the flood
setting from the eastward; the rise and fall being from a foot to
twenty inches. In the Dolphin and Union Straits, the current in the
height of flood and ebb exceeded two miles an hour. They found drift
timber everywhere, and a large portion of it, on many parts of the
coast, lay in a line from ten to fifteen, and in some places upwards
of twenty feet, above the ordinary spring-tide water-mark, apparently
thrown up by a heavy sea.

After the first rapid, in the coppermine river, Dr. Richardson's party
abandoned the boats, with the remainder of their cargoes of provision,
iron-work, beads, &c. to the first party of Esquimaux which should
chance to pass that way; and on the 10th of August set out by land,
with ten days' provisions.

They reached the eastern end of Bear Lake, at the influx of Dease's
river, on the 18th, and remained there until the evening of the 24th,
before the boats arrived to convey them to Fort Franklin.

The person to whom the boats were entrusted, and who was sent off to
Fort Franklin on the 6th of August, did not arrive on the latest day
appointed for his appearance (the 20th), from a belief that Dr.
Richardson's party would never return, and that he should make a
needless voyage: and after the 20th Dr. Richardson was obliged to