Dease, Peter W., 1838, 'An Account of the Recent Arctic Discoveries.'

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Messrs. Dease and Simpson's Account
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return, but this was almost the only exception. At a more ad¬ vanced period of the season, however, the winds blew more from the west and north-west. It is now certain that from Kotzebue's Souhd to Capo Parrv there is not a harbour into which a ship can safely enter, but it must be a verv unpropitious season that would not admit of achieving that portion of the Arctic naviga¬ tion ; and another year ought certainly to suffice for the remainder, whether the voyage were commenced from Barrow's or from Behring's Strait. On this subject, however, we shall be better able to offer an opinion if successful in our next summer's opera¬ tions.
The natural history of the coast from Return Reef to Point Barrow is meagre in the extreme. In the botanical kingdom scarcely a flower or moss was obtained in addition to the collection made on other parts of the coast. In zoology, reindeer, arctic foxes, one or two limmings, seals, white owls, snow buntings, grouse (Lagopus salicite et rupestres), and various well-known species of water-fowl, were the only objects met with; while in the mineralogical department there was not a rock in situ or boulder-stone found along an extent of more than two hundred miles of coast. The variation of the compass was found to have increased from one to three degrees at the corresponding points where observations had been made by Sir John Franklin. At Boat Extreme, on the other hand, it was only twenty-one minutes greater than that stated by Mr. Elson at Point Barrow, where, by continuing the proportion, the quantities would coincide. The moon was never once visible during the whole outward and homeward voyage, till our return to the western mouth of Mackenzie, where a set of distances was obtained, and the longi¬ tudes of the other points reduced back from thence by means of a very valuable watch generously lent to the expedition by Chief Factor Smith.
The map of our discoveries will be prepared and transmitted to your Honours in the spring.
Our ascent of the Mackenzie has not been characterised by any circumstance of particular interest. The weather continued calm and beautiful; and the journey was performed entirely by towing, in which manner we advanced at the rate of from thirty to forty miles a-day. The river has fallen very low, and the fisheries have, in consequence, been unproductive, causing a scarcity of provisions both at Fort Good Hope and among the natives. We saw a good many of the Loucheux, but the Hare Indians were all dispersed in the interior, searching for subsistence. From the coast up to Point Separation moose-deer were numerous— being quite undisturbed,  but from our first falling in with the