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9th Enc. Same as 7th Wednesday, July 23d 1862 A.M. N.E. Fresh Almost [[underlined]] Fine [[/underlined]] M. N.E. Light " " [[dittos for: Almost [[underlined]] Fine [[/underlined]] P.M. N.E. Fresh " " [[dittos for: Almost [[underlined]] Fine [[/underlined]] Attempted passage from Bear Island to S. E. Ex. - the failure - Pack ice unyielding - the return to Bear Island. Await ebb tide & made another trial - [[strikethrough]] sucs [[/strikethrough]] succede - My Chief Assistant wanting in back-bone & pluck! My mounting the heights of "S. E. Ex" - obs. I make - My wishes - my hopes - my disappointments - Homeward Bound! [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] Back to place of 7th Encampt. This day's record one I dislike to make, yet [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] I must make it in duty to the history of my experiences & work. Two or three times during [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] ^[[Last]] night I got up & looked out for the prospect of the day & to note state of the ice wh. blocked the passage bet Bear Island & S. E. Ex. At V ^[[AM]] called Mate Lamb who at once [[strikethrough]] call [[/strikethrough]] responded by awaking & arousing the rest of the Company. Having made a camp fire & a camp breakfast started for S. E. Ex. the day on prospect of it being very fine. Time of starting out 22h X - [[?]] 40 (h 5 A.M.). Bay ice of considerable strength & thickness formed last night. The weather cold fr[[?]] the heavy pack snow on Davis Strait - It required but a little cold weather to [[strikethrough]] co[[?]] [[/strikethrough]] crush the pack into a solid mass. Yesterday soon as sighting the ice bet Bear Island & S. E Ex Mate L. declared that I would be unable to get to S. E. Ex. On going [[strikethrough]] upo [[/strikethrough]] up at a considerable elevation I found that as the the tide ebbed the ice drifted on with it leaving clear passage - This I [[end page]] [[start page]] [[boxed]] July 23 Wednes [[/boxed]] over to S. E. Ex. As advantage had not been taken of the proper ebb tide found all passage [[strikethrough]] clos [[/strikethrough]] closed. After a moderate degree of trial - concluded to return to Bear Island. Mate L. attempted to discourage me from my striking that it would be possible to cross to the S. E. Ex. but I knew better. I had watched the workings of tide & ice sufficiently to satisfy myself that it could be done & done with safety too. I told him if any damage should be done to the boat I would shoulder all the responsibility. We returned to the N W. side of Bear Island - drew the boat upon the place * awaited events. I walked around westerly & determined as I had [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] supposed that Bear Mt. was an Island. Sharkey with his gun proceeded on the ice bet. Bear Island & the large ^[[high]] Island W of it after seals. I was returned from my westerly tramp took spy & went up a slight emince to see what changes had taken place in ^[[P.]] ice that had arrested our [[strikethrough]] course [[/strikethrough]] progress [[strikethrough]] to [[/strikethrough]] ^[[when]] making trial to cross to S. E. Ex. To my satisfaction found out almost a magical change had taken place - that a clear wide open space invited me over. I called to L. who came up where I was he gave a careful look with spy & acknowledged that what I said was true. I told him how necessary it was that I should go to said S. E. Ex. that I might when thence from the heights that overlooked Budington Bay Rescue Bay, Bay of Frobisher & Revolution Island connect much of my work [[strikethrough]] [[?]] e[[?]] places [[/strikethrough]] by a sun bearing & sextant angles. L. had ordered a fire to made by wh. [[strikethrough]] we [[/strikethrough]] to cook a lunch of ducks He at once countermanded this tho not before a fire was ready way & the ducks partly cooked. At h 1 - m 47 chr [[strikethrough]] (IX - 47 AM [[/strikethrough]] (VIII - 47 AM) leave again Bear Island for S. E. Ex. This time found no trouble the whole of the pack having been carried out of the space between Bear Island & S. E. Ex. by the ebb tide. [[image - drawing with following labels: 'The Cape', '2d channel', '1st channel', 'A', 'S. E. Ex.', 'Ice - Land place', 'B.', 'C', 'D' and 'E']] [[encircled]] A [[/encircled]] Mt ob. [[encircled]] B [[/encircled]] Bear Isd [[encircled]] C [[/encircled]] 2d Channel of lower[[guess]] time [[encircled]] D [[/encircled]] Small Harbor. Here I have made an indifferent sketch of S. E. Ex & land near it. [[encircled]] B [[/encircled]] Bear Island should have been placed some father to the left so as to be next to range with 2d channel The dot line from West side 1st Channel [[?]]ing around & terminating near Bear Island indicates the margin of the land flua[[guess]] wh. as yet is firm not having yet thawed out or been broken up this year. The 2d channel yet unopened. 2d channel of lower open include 1st channel by Bear Island unopen. The tide here quite indif^[[f]]erent compared with what it is farther
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