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4 [[page number]]
1861 June 24 Mon.
Flag staff course to return 38
Distance in Paces [[two sets of four strokes with horizontal line through denoting 5]] 1 65/"
I again add, I simply copy the above not putting much value upon any of it. Yet I wish to preserve all therefore here it is as enduring as any part of my journal. I may pick a bone sometime out of it that has a little meat with it - [[underlined]] a very little. [[/underlined]]
This eve an extended conversation with 1st officer of Capt. Budington's, Mate Rogers. He declares without qualification that neither of the four Boats now here in this place is fit for me to use in my contemplated voyage.
Tuesday, June 25th 1861
A.M. 32° Wind S.E. very light
M. 49° " [[ditto for: Wind]] Calm " " [[dittos for: very light]]
P.M. 35° " [[ditto for: Wind]] Light breeze from East (Fine day)
Another fine day. Two fine days in succession. Well, this is fair record. May there be more of it.
I have been Duck-Egging to-day! been nearly through Lupton Straits - & into the probable "Bear Sound" of Frobisher. Duck Egging? - Yes - Ducking - got 5 Ducks & over 100 Dozen Ducks' Eggs (of size 1/3 larger than hens' eggs). Mean the total of the acquisition of the company. I & those whom I accompanied.
We started at an early hour - struck across the water between here & the entrance to one of Lupton Straits [[underlined]] in 25 minutes. [[/underlined]] In [[underlined]] one hour & 45 minutes [[/underlined]] were to [[underlined]] a point but a little south of Sylvia Grinnell Island [[/underlined]] at the N'n entrance or outlet of said Straits.
The company consisted of Whites & Innuits - 2 Whale Boats were our conveyance - one under command Charley Keeney & the other of Ad. Bailey. In the latter's Boat
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2 [[page number]]
1861 June 25 Tues.
I went. On entering said Straits, I was surprised at the velocity of the tide water. In face the tides as [[strikethrough]] they [[/strikethrough]] displayed to-day became [[underlined]] my subject of study. [[/underlined]] Where we went up the tide was [[underlined]] ebbing [[/underlined]] & running swiftly up the Strait. As we got to the point where the 2 straits met intermingling & continuing on as one to Sylvia Island in Rescue Bay head of Lupton Straits the channell from the south was sending its waters still more furious. Eddies, Whirl-pools, Mill [[?paces]] were the abounding conditions of the water. They took along as playthings Ice-bergs - "sconces" (broken pieces of ice) - ice of all names. When tide turned, as [[underlined]] furiously [[/underlined]] did the waters play with their (to them) toys - (but to us [[?peters]]). It seems to be a subject that surprises all of the ship's men the way the tides work in these straits.
From only this day's observation of the whole length & breadth of these straits I cannot fully determine this matter - but my mind at present is that Rescue Bay is earlier in her tides - the flow & ebb - than this Bay. I cannot, at present, account for this tremendous race of tides from this Bay to that - & vice versa - in any other hypothesis. Ebbing commences here - the waters flow swiftly up the straights - that ("Rescue Bay") is 1/2 hour ahead - of course water seeks a level - it [[underlined]] races [[/underlined]] to Rescue Bay. The tide is comming in - the waters return swiftly down the straits. Rescue Bay is ahead in her tide 1/2 hour - water seeks its level - it runs down from the elevated tide of Rescue Bay to that which has just commencing to go up. But here comes a fact to be met squarely in the face. The tides of Frobisher Bay are [[underlined]] higher & lower [[/underlined]] by many feet than Rescue Bay. As an Innuit would say - so say I, Wich-on? Wait awhile before I write more on this subject - I have several important observations yet to make. Second important ones already made - all of which I wish to further investigate before saying more.
As to egging & Ducking I will now say all -
The Ducks were very numerous flying over our heads from every direction. They were in the water drifting with the swiftly running tide - on the ice - on nearly all the numerous Islands we passed. Wherever we saw [[?amerudle]] (a great many) Ducks on & around an Island, that we visited for eggs. The first Island we pulled up to was one in the midst of a sweeping, driving tide that seemed to defy all human exertions to approach it. Yet after
