If Mr. Wentzel met the Hook or any of his party he was instructed to assure them that he was provided with the necessary documents to get them payment for any meat they should put en cache for our use, and to acquaint them that we fully relied on their fulfilling every part of the agreement they had made with us.  Whenever the Indians, whom he was to join at the Copper Mountains, killed any animals on their way to Fort Enterprise, he was requested to put en cache whatever meat could be spared, placing conspicuous marks to guide us to them, and I particularly begged he would employ them in hunting in our service immediately after his arrival at the house.

When Mr. Wentzel’s party had been supplied with ammunition our remaining stock consisted of one thousand balls and rather more than the requisite proportion of powder.  A bag of small shot was missing and we afterwards discovered that the Canadians had secreted and distributed it among themselves in order that when provision should become scarce they might privately procure ducks and geese and avoid the necessity of sharing them with the officers.

The situation of our encampment was ascertained to be latitude 67 degrees 47 minutes 50 seconds North, longitude 115 degrees 36 minutes 49 seconds West, the variation of the compass 46 degrees 25 minutes 52 seconds East, and dip of the needle 88 degrees 5 minutes 07 seconds.

It will be perceived that the position of the mouth of the river given by our observations differs widely from that assigned by Mr. Hearne, but the accuracy of his description, conjoined with Indian information, assured us that we were at the very part he visited.  I therefore named the most conspicuous cape we then saw Cape Hearne as a just tribute to the memory of that persevering traveller.  I distinguished another cape by the name of Mackenzie in honour of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the only other European* who had before reached the Northern Ocean.  I called the river which falls into the sea to the westward of the Copper-Mine Richardson as a testimony of sincere regard for my friend and companion Dr. Richardson, and named the islands which were in view from our encampment Couper’s Isles in honour of a friend of his.  The sun set this night at thirty minutes after eleven apparent time.

(Footnote.  Captain Parry’s success was at this time unknown to us.)

The travelling distance from Fort Enterprise to the north of the Copper-Mine River is about three hundred and thirty-four miles.  The canoes and baggage were dragged over snow and ice for one hundred and seventeen miles of this distance.

CHAPTER 11.

NAVIGATION OF THE POLAR SEA, IN TWO CANOES, AS FAR AS CAPE TURNAGAIN, TO THE EASTWARD, A DISTANCE EXCEEDING FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILES.  OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROBABILITY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

NAVIGATION OF THE POLAR SEA, IN TWO CANOES, AS FAR AS CAPE TURNAGAIN, TO THE EASTWARD, A DISTANCE EXCEEDING FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILES.