[The Journey to the Polar Sea by John Franklin]@TWC D-Link book
The Journey to the Polar Sea

CHAPTER 12
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Our Canadian voyagers could not restrain their joy at having turned their backs on the sea, and passed the evening in talking over their past adventures with much humour and no little exaggeration.

The consideration that the most painful, and certainly the most hazardous, part of the journey was yet to come did not depress their spirits at all.

It is due to their character to mention that they displayed much courage in encountering the dangers of the sea, magnified to them by their novelty.
The shores between Cape Barrow and Cape Flinders, including the extensive branches of Arctic and Melville Sounds and Bathurst's Inlet, may be comprehended in one great gulf which I have distinguished by the appellation of George IV's Coronation Gulf in honour of His Most Gracious Majesty, the latter name being added to mark the time of its discovery.
The archipelago of islands which fringe the coast from Copper-Mine River to Point Turnagain I have named in honour of His Royal Highness the Duke of York.
It may be deserving of notice that the extremes in temperature of the seawater during our voyage were 53 and 35 degrees, but its general temperature was between 43 and 48 degrees.

Throughout our return from Point Turnagain we observed that the sea had risen several feet above marks left at our former encampments.

This may perhaps be attributed to the north-west gales.
August 26.
Previous to our departure this morning an assortment of iron materials, beads, looking-glasses, and other articles were put up in a conspicuous situation for the Esquimaux and the English Union was planted on the loftiest sandhill where it might be seen by any ships passing in the offing.


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