Thirty years in the Arctic regions; a narrative of the explorations and adventures of Sir John Franklin.

460 Thirty Years
the ice, in its fickle movements, should open for a
short time. Notwithstanding the closeness of the ice,
we perceived a regular rise and fall of the water,
though it amounted only to seven inches, except on
the night of the 24th, when the rise was two feet;
but the direction of the flood was not yet ascertained.
We found a greater proportion of birch-wood, mixed
with the drift timber to the westward of the Babbage,
than we had done before; between the Mackenzie and
that river it had been so scarce, that we had to draw
upon our store of bark to light the fires. Some lunar
observations were obtained in the afternoon of the 25th.
and their results assured us that the chronometers
were going steadily. At midnight we were visited by
a strong S.W. breeze, accompanied by rain, thunder,
and lightning. This weather was succeeded by calm,
and a fog that continued throughout the next day,
and confined our view to a few yards. Temperature
from 410 to 43~. On the atmosphere becoming clear
wednesday about nine in the evening of the 26th, we
26th.
discovered a lane of water, and immediately embarking,
we pulled, for an hour, without experiencing much interruption from the ice. A fresh breeze then sprung
up from the N.W., which brought with it a very dense
fog, and likewise caused the ice to close so fast upon
us, that we were compelled to hasten to the shore.
We had just landed, when the channel was complete