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110 Letters written during the late Voyages oj Discovery presumption. I now therefore return to the details of our pro ceedings during the month just elapsed. My last letter stated that having taken on board all the instru ments employed on shore, for astronomical or other purposes, and the ice being sufficiently open, at one P. M. of Tuesday 1st August, we weighed anchor and stood out of Winter Harbour. We entered it on Friday, the 2'lth of September last year: we consequently passed in that desolate and dreary station up wards of ten long months. Our proper discovery-voyage was of still longer duration ; for the very day of our deliverence from im prisonment in Melville Island was the anniversary of our passing from Baffin’s Bay into Sir James Lancaster’s Sound, of which little more than the entrance had been formerly explored. Having cleared the points of Winter Harbour and the ice- hummocks off Cape Hearne, in Gk fathoms of water, we had the gratification to observe the coast of Melville island to the south- westward, the direction of our course, much clearer of ice that had been expected, and than it was a month later when we were here last year. The late winds off the land from W. and N W. had driven the ice four or five miles out from the shore ; and the small fragments floating in the channel were not of such a size or weight as to give much interruption to our navigation ; for the fair-way was in breadth from l to 2\ miles, as far as could be discovered to the westward from the mast-head. On rounding Cape Hearne the wind drew more to the westward than in Winter Harbour, which, with the necessary operations to keep clear of floating ice, rendered our navigation slow and tedious. We had also to contend with a current or tide to the eastward, which, as it stopped about 7 P. M. was supposed to be the flood-tide ; for high-water in Winter- Harbour would be about 7£ P. M. During our preparations for sea on board the Griper, the com mander adopted and introduced every improvement which was practicable, to correct the known defects of the ship In sailing. But the original defects in her construction and rigging were, in our circumstances, incurable. The consequence was that, when we got out of the harbour, she sailed and worked in some respects worse than before, although we had a fine working breeze and smooth water, just the situation in which she used to make the best way. From this it happened that at midnight the Hecla, which had got eight miles to the westward of us was obliged to lv- to; for the weather becoming hazy and the open channel wider than before, there was danger of our parting company. At three A. M. of the 2d, having joined the Hecla, both proceeded to the westward. In the morning our commander received.a letter from Captain Parry, desiring to have a particular account of the state of the Griper, that if found incurable, the ship’s company, provisions,