Donovan and Weymouth and Hobbs were occupied the rest of the forenoon skinning it.
It being a favorable opportunity, we improved it to make soundings.
From where we lay moored to the floe, the nearest island was about three leagues to the east, and the northern main from ten to twelve miles.

For sounding we had a twenty-four-pound iron weight, with a staple leaded into it for the line.

Dropping it out of the stern, we ran out a hundred and seventy-three fathoms before it slacked.

The depth of the strait at that place was given at ten hundred and thirty-eight feet.

I should add, that this was considerably deeper than we had found it below that point..