moss. Thirteen miles beyond this we arrived at two narrow points in the small bay. The shore still trended to the N. W., and we had not travelled more than four leagues on the 18th, when the coast took a sharp turn to the eastward. We had been tracing the west side of a deep inlet, which was named Halkett, after one of the members of your honourable Board. As we were now near the latitude and longitude of Lord Mayor's Bay of Sir John Ross, I struck across land nearly in a north direction; and at noon, when passing over a considerable lake, the latitude 69° 26' 1" N. was observed. Advancing three miles beyond this, we reached another lake; and, as there was as yet no appearance of the sea, I ordered my companions to build a snow hut and search for fuel whilst I went to look for the coast. A walk of twenty minutes brought me to an inlet not more than a quarter of a mile wide. This I traced to the westward for three miles, when my course was again obstructed by land. Ascending some high rocks, from which a good view could be obtained, I thought I could distinguish rough ice in the desired direction. With renewed hopes I set out at a rapid pace, plunging among deep snow, scrambling over rocks and through rough ice, until I gained some rising ground close to the beach. From the spot where I now stood, as far as the eye could see to the north-west, lay a large extent of ice-covered sea, studded with innumerable islands. Lord Mayor's Bay was before me, and the islands were those named by Sir John Ross the Sons of the Clergy of the Church of Scotland. The isthmus which connects the land to the northward with Boothia Felix is only one mile broad, and, to judge by the number of stone marks set up on it, appears to be a favourite resort of the natives. Its latitude is 69° 31' N., longitude by account 91° 29′30′′ W. On the following morning, after taking possession of our discoveries with the usual formalities, we proceeded on our return ;— following, as nearly as possible, the same route as that by which we had passed in the opposite direction, and arrived at Repulse Bay on the 5th of May, all safe and well, but as black as negroes, from the combined effects of frost bites and oil smoke. At our winter quarters every thing had gone on prosperously. Having still to trace the west shore of Melville Peninsula, I started for this purpose on the evening of the 13th of May, intending to VOL. LXXXIX. travel by night with a chosen party of four men. Our course to the sea was nearly due north, through a chain of lakes; and on the 16th we built our snow hut on Cape Thomas Simpson, in lat. 67° 19' 14" N., long. 87° W., a rocky point which I had visited last autumn in the boat. From this place I sent back a fatigue party of three men and a sledge of dogs that had assisted us thus far. As the dogs were of little use during the last journey, I took none with me now. We left our snow hut on the evening of the 16th. We advanced only twelve miles the first night. On the 17th we crossed a bay eighteen miles wide, and encamped at its north point; opposite to which, and within two miles of the shore, there is a large island, which was honoured with the name of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. A small island to the south of this was called Sabine Island. The general trending of the coast was now N.N.E., near the shore the banks being high and steep. On the 20th we were detained twenty-four hours by stormy weather at Cape Lady Simpson, a long point in lat. 68° 10' N., long. 85° 53′ W. We rounded Selkirk Bay (called after the noble Earl of that name) on the 21st; and, after passing a number of small points and bays, we encamped on what at first appeared to be a part of the main land, but which was afterwards found to be an island. Our snow house on the 25th was built in lat. 68 48′ N., long. 85° 4′ W., near a small stream, frozen (like all others we had passed) to the bottom. Leaving two men to endeavour to fish and shoot, I went forward with the others and crossed Garry Bay, passing inside a number of islets. Our course on the following night lay to the westward of north-the coast being high and rocky, and indented with numerous inlets. After accomplishing twenty miles in a straight line, we encamped. Our provisions being nearly exhausted, I could proceed only half a day's journey further northward, being obliged to return the same night to our present quarters. Leaving one of the men, I set out with the other. The snow fell fast, and the walking was extremely fatiguing. After advancing ten miles, the land turned sharp to the eastward; but as the weather was thick I could not see how far it trended in this direction. When we had waited here nearly an hour, the sky cleared up, and I discovered that we were on the south shore of a considerable bay, and could trace the coast to the northwards for about twelve 2 C miles beyond it. To the most distant visible point (lat. 69° 42′ N., long. 85° 8' W.) gave the name of Cape Ellice; the land where we stood was called Cape Crozier, and the intervening bay received the name of Parry Bay. Finding it hopeless to attempt reaching the Strait of the Fury and Hecla, from which Cape Ellice could only be a few miles distant, we retraced our steps, and after an absence of eleven hours joined our companion. Early in the morning of the 30th, we arrived at our snow hut of the 25th. The men we had left here were well, but very thin-as they had neither caught nor shot any thing eatable except two marmots. Had we been absent twelve hours more, they were to have cooked a piece of parchment-skin for supper. Nothing of importance occurred during our journey homeward. Our several "cachos" of provisions were found safe, and some partridges that were shot aided our short commons. At 8.20 on the morning of the 9th of June we arrived at Fort Hope, all well, having been absent twenty-seven days. During the remainder of our stay at Repulse Bay, the whole party were occupied in procuring food, collecting fuel, and preparing our boats for sea. The ice in the bay broke up on the 11th of August. On the following day, after bidding farewell to our good-humoured friends (who were loud in their wishes that we would soon return to them), we left our dreary winter quarters. Head winds and stormy weather retarded our progress much, so that we did not reach Churchill until the 31st of August. We were detained in Churchill River by a gale of wind until the 3rd of September, when the weather became more moderate, and we were able to continue our voyage towards York Factory at which place we arrived late on the evening of the 6th. 387 PATENTS From January 1st, to December 23rd, 1847. **It is frequently difficult to make an abstract of the lengthy descriptions given by the patentees of their inventions, sufficiently short for the purpose of this list, and yet sufficiently accurate to indicate exactly the nature of the invention. It is hoped, however, that sufficient is given to afford to an inquirer the means of making more accurate researches in other authorities. Adams, W. B., railways, May 22 Atterbury, E. J., gearing machines, Mar. Ayres, P. B., manure, April 20 10 Bain, A., musical instruments, Oct. 7 Barros, J. de, gun stocks, Sep. 30 Bergers, B. E., railway carriages, June 3 Betts, W., capsules, Nov. 30 Bickes, F. H., manuring corn, June 19 Bishop, S. H., chimneys, March 2 Bourne, J., kilns, Aug. 4 Boulnois, W., harness, Nov. 2 Braithwaite, J., ventilators, &c., Jan. 28 Brown, E., carbonic compounds, Feb. 20 Brunton, W., dressing ores, Nov. 16 Burrows, S., knives, Jan. 7 Bursill, G. H., envelopes, Nov. 6 Card, A., cotton spinning, Feb. 16 Chabot, C., railway carriages, Sep. 2 Chandler, T., liquid manure, Dec. 1 Chance, J. T., glass, June 15 Coates, J., cotton cleaning, April 27 June 19 Crane, P. M., iron, April 8 Deakin, T., stamping machine, Jan. 21 De Sussex, F. H. M., nitric acid, &c., De Sussex, F. S., smelting, March 23 Ellerman, C. F., chemistry, Oct. 7 Fourdinier, E. N., cranes, Feb. 1 May 2 Gard, W. G., boring, Oct. 21 Hartley, J., glass, Oct. 7 10 Hazeldine, T., furnaces, May 18 Heycock, H., rotary engines, March 23 Hill, J., spinning machine, June 19 Horne, T., carriage windows, Oct. 14 Jay, C., chemical apparatus, Sep. 30 Johnson, R., wire cloth, Sep. 30 12 Johnson, W. B., locomotive engines, June Lowe, J., railways, Feb. 24 Mitchell, A., docks, July 3 Moenck, G., clock, Dec. 1 16 12 Johnstone, J., sugar, May 27 Jones, R., hot pressing, March 31 Mollett, J., fire arms, April 15 More, T., looms, Sep. 30 Jones, S. T., propelling, July 29 Lawson, J., cotton machine, Nov. 4 23 Light, E., life preservers, July 19 Morgan, J., flax spinning, April 24 Morton, A., printing warps, March 29 13 Newton, H., spinning, Sep. 23 Aug. 23 Newton, W. E., screws, July 12 Lloyd, F., tobacco, Oct. 14 Newton, W. E., aerial locomotion, Feb. 15 Nickels, C., weaving, June 3 |